Boats, fireworks light the night during Gulfport's Christmas on the Bayou boat parade

GULFPORT -- Area children lined the shores of Bayou Bernard on Saturday hoping to catch a glimpse of Papa Noël traveling the river in a boat pulled by eight alligators.

More than 50 boats participated in the annual Christmas on the Bayou, a lighted-boat parade that travels Bayou Bernard from Gulfport Lake to Big Lake and back.

"We are really happy with the turnout this year," parade organizer Melanie Clark said. "This is a good family event for Gulfport."

Christmas on the Bayou is sponsored by the Bayou Bernard Boating Club. It is Gulfport's only lighted-boat parade.

"We always have a lot of smaller boats in the parade," Clark said. "But it's also deep enough to accommodate schooners and larger boats."

The club used this year's parade as a way to help someone in need.

"During our captains' party, we raised money for (Gulfport T-shirt entrepreneur) Scuba Steve to help in his fight against cancer," Clark said. "The club is going to match what we raised up to $2,000. He's a great guy and he would have been the first to do this for anyone."

Spectators turned out along the parade route, including a large crowd at Kremer's Landing near the Cowan-Lorraine Bridge.

Hundreds gathered behind The Dock Bar and Grill on Gulfport Lake where they could watch the parade begin and end.

Boats resplendent in hues of green and red and gold illuminated the lake as the crowd waited patiently for it to start.

Jackie Kahn of Gulfport said she was attending the parade for the first time.

"I love Christmas and I'm hoping this will get me more into the Christmas spirit," she said.

Mike Williamson, 7, of Biloxi, said he, too, was a first-time spectator.

"I'm excited about seeing all of the lights on the boat and maybe some fireworks," he said.

This story was originally published December 12, 2015 at 9:32 PM with the headline "Boats, fireworks light the night during Gulfport's Christmas on the Bayou boat parade ."