It's time to line up along the New River in Ft. Lauderdale and bring in the Holiday Season with the Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade. This yearly event still draws lots of people into the area, so you should map out your spot now and plan to get there early.

The parade starts at 6 PM (Saturday, December 9, 2010) and covers a 12 mile stretch. The 'official' route starts at the Riverside Hotel (Downtown Ft. Lauderdale) to Lake Santa Barbara. While you can watch the parade along the banks of the river at any point of the route, most watchers might want to line up at the staging area along Ft. Lauderdale's Riverwalk area / Broward County Performing Arts Center. There is lots of room there and you have a clear shot all the way east to the Riverside Hotel. If you prefer to have a seat on the grandstand (for a fee), you can head over to Hugh Taylor Birch State Park off of A1A and Sunrise Blvd. (Ticket info: www.winterfestparade.com or call 954-767-0686). Those seats open at 3:30 PM and I don't think they sell tickets at the event, so be sure to call ahead.

Drivers will want to take note of the parade as well. Many bridges along the New River and Intercoastal Waterway will be stuck 'open' during the duration of the parade (6 PM - 7:30 PM).

While Ft. Lauderdale recently broke some records with low temperatures this week…Saturday night looks to be quite comfortable (at least that is the word from meteorologists today). You might want to keep an eye on the weather since out winter temps can change from day to day and you don't want to be caught unprepared for a chilly night.