Where the Ocean Isle Flotilla's Boats Will Be This November 28

After 21 years, the Ocean Isle Flotilla will not return this year. The Saturday after Thanksgiving still has a lighted boat parade, though. It lands on the same date at the same 5:30 p.m. start and benefits the same charity. It just runs on a different stretch of the Intracoastal Waterway. The Brunswick Beacon reported that the first Holden Beach Flotilla will run on Saturday, Nov. 28, with up to 25 decorated boats.

If your Thanksgiving weekend has ended at the commercial canal for years, the parts that made that night a tradition are the parts making the trip east.

What Actually Moved

The Ocean Isle event always ran on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, starting around dusk, near 5:30 p.m. Every dollar went to Brunswick Family Assistance. The new Holden Beach Flotilla keeps all three. It starts at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 28, the Saturday after Thanksgiving in 2026, and its proceeds go to Brunswick Family Assistance.

The boaters are carrying it over too. According to the Beacon's account, the idea came from Jason Murphy, who had taken part in the Ocean Isle Flotilla for the past several years. When he learned it would not return, he contacted the Holden Beach Marina, which signed on quickly. Organizers credit Ashley Dyer with building the foundation the event needed. Murphy then teamed up with Keith Smith, who also serves as a Holden Beach town commissioner.

The charity is the clearest link between the two events. The Beacon noted that the Ocean Isle Flotilla had been a significant fundraiser for Brunswick Family Assistance, and that its absence left the organization facing the loss of an important annual event. The Holden Beach Flotilla's own site says the event was created to bring that spirit back. It describes BFA's work helping Brunswick County families with food, housing, utilities and other basic needs.

Neither the Beacon nor the new organizers give a reason the Ocean Isle event ended. The Beacon says it is not returning "this year." Treat 2026 as the year the boats are somewhere else, not as a ruling on the future.

The Route Trades a Canal Loop for a Run Past the Bridge

Longtime spectators will notice the new course right away. The Ocean Isle parade went west on the Intracoastal Waterway and turned into the Ocean Isle Beach Commercial Canal. From there it passed the OIB Fishing Center, Sharky's, 59 Causeway and Sheffield's, then looped back toward Sharky's for judging. It was a compact loop, and the boats came close to the restaurant docks.

The Holden Beach route is a longer line out and back:

• Staging: Boats gather on the waterway just west of Sailfish Park, which the Town of Holden Beach lists as a public park.
• First leg: The parade lights up at Sailfish Park and heads toward Provision Company at 1343 Cedar Landing Road.
• Midpoint: The boats pass the Holden Beach Bridge and continue to The Wharf Restaurant at 1045 B-Var Road SW in Supply, where they turn around.
• Finish: Holden Beach Marina at 3238 Pompano Street SW handles judging and the awards.

Because the route doubles back, many points along it see the parade twice. Boats will run about one to two minutes apart, and the Beacon says that keeps the procession visible along the route for an extended period. At up to 25 boats, that spacing stretches the show across a good part of the evening instead of a single pass.

Of the named route points, only Sailfish Park is public property. Provision Company, The Wharf and Holden Beach Marina are businesses. The Beacon asked spectators to pick safe spots along the route and said more viewing details would come as plans were finalized, so check hbflotilla.com before you drive over.

How the Evening Unfolds

The Beacon laid out the night in detail. Here is the order on the water:

1. About 4:30 p.m. Boats begin staging just west of Sailfish Park.
2. 5:15 p.m. Final radio check.
3. About 5:30 p.m. The lights come on at Sailfish Park and the flotilla gets underway.
4. Mid-evening. Boats pass Provision Company and the Holden Beach Bridge, turn at The Wharf, then head back toward the marina.
5. About 7:30 to 7:45 p.m. Judges at Holden Beach Marina score the boats as they arrive. Post-flotilla activities and the awards follow.
6. Afterward. After-parties at local restaurants.

The event's ticketing page on Zeffy runs the event from 5:30 to 8 p.m. It also sells an official first-year shirt for $35, a small keepsake from the night the tradition changed waterfronts.

The organizers told the Brunswick Beacon what they hope the night becomes:

"We want this to be something families look forward to every year. It's about seeing the boats, enjoying the Christmas lights, bringing people together and having a great time — but it's also about giving back to our community and helping our neighbors."

If you own a boat and have always watched from shore, there is a firm limit to know about. The flotilla takes 25 boats, first come, first served, and registration closes once those spots fill. Sign up through the event website.

The Same Saturday Night Has Another Draw Close to Home

With the boats gone east, Ocean Isle Beach households have another choice to weigh that night. Ingram Planetarium at 7625 High Market Street in Sunset Beach has a full Nov. 28 schedule. "Mystery of the Christmas Star" runs from 1 to 2 p.m., a Trans-Siberian Orchestra laser show starts at 6 p.m., and the planetarium's original laser production of The Nutcracker runs from 7 to 8 p.m.

The evening shows overlap with the flotilla. Its boats leave Sailfish Park around 5:30, and judging at the marina runs until roughly 7:45. The afternoon Christmas Star show is the one that fits on the same day as the boats. Families who want both the planetarium and the flotilla should plan around that 1 p.m. slot.

The Museum of Coastal Carolina, which shares a website with the planetarium, is bringing back its Festival of Trees for a 7th year. Visitors vote on themed trees, and a silent auction benefits local nonprofits. The guest-favorite winner will be announced Dec. 29. Check the museum's site for dates and hours before you go. Like the flotilla, the festival turns a holiday outing into a fundraiser for local nonprofits.

Before Thanksgiving, One More Night on Second Street

The town calendar has one more date before the holidays, and it falls right after this post goes up. The Town of Ocean Isle Beach is holding Trunk or Treat on Friday, Oct. 30, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the Town Center Park parking lot at 11 E. Second Street, weather permitting.

After that, the Saturday after Thanksgiving starts on the Holden Beach waterfront this year. The parade lights up at Sailfish Park at about 5:30 p.m., the boats turn at The Wharf, and the awards follow at Holden Beach Marina. Proceeds go to the same Brunswick County families the Ocean Isle boats raised money for over 21 years.

If you're settled in Ocean Isle Beach and want to know what's changing around you, from holiday traditions to what's happening along the water, I'm always glad to share what I'm seeing locally. Reach out to Deborah Morgan any time. Let's Connect.