The Christmas Ships Parade: A Treasured Tradition for 70 Years
When you mention “Christmas Ships” to a Clark County resident, most will probably think of the beautiful display of ships that sail every December and bring joy to so many. To Vancouver resident Doug Romjue, a 33-year Christmas Shipper and former leader of the Columbia River Fleet, it truly makes his Christmas every year.
“I’ve always told people, if you ask someone to come over to your house during the holidays, they pretty much are always busy. If you ask if they would like to join us in the Christmas Ships Parade the answer is almost always ‘How many people can I bring?’ It’s a tradition,” Romjue said.
The tradition continues this year, as the annual Christmas Ships Parade is celebrating its 70th year. The parade, which started in 1954, is a staple of the holiday season and brings tidings of joy to the waters of the Greater Vancouver/Portland area.
The Christmas Ships Parade is more than just awe-inspiring ships. This event is made possible by dedicated volunteers and support from the local community. “Nobody gets paid or supported financially for doing this. We volunteer our time and fuel to help make this happen each year,” Romjue said.
Vancouver residents Kim and Steve Osgood knew there was something special about the Christmas Ships Parade when they signed up as interested participants at a boat show in January 2021. In October 2022, they went to a casual meet and greet with experienced captains and decided to participate, finding that the community was warm, welcoming and eager to give advice about the process and experience.
“The very first night we were anxious, but prepared and ready. Once we started to parade, got into a rhythm and saw all the crowds of people on shore at the parks, or parties on the floating home, or at the waterfront hotels, it was exhilarating to see the excitement. Spectators were cheering and waving lighted wands and it was all we needed to know this was providing joy to others,” Kim explained.
A special highlight for the couple is inviting guests to be on their boat for a parade evening. “One of the parades we had a few guests that we didn’t really know all that well,” she shared. “When they arrived to join us, they were literally like kids on Christmas morning excited to be on a Christmas Ship. They could not have been more excited. That gets us excited and confirms that simply taking the boat out to parade at Christmas is something that our community loves.”
President and Columbia Fleet leader Kat Pettersen’s journey with the Christmas Ships began in 2017 when she saw an ad. “At the time my husband was an Ocean Tugboat Captain with an Oceans Master License,” Petterson shared. “I reached out to Christmas Ships and joined with the intent to parade only one night. We had so much fun, we were hooked! We love inviting friends and family to ride along.” She continued, “In 2019 we were able to parade all 15 nights. At the end of the parade season and right after Christmas, we wanted to do more parading, and the Lower Columbia Christmas Ships was born. We continue to be avid Christmas Shippers and talk to anyone who will listen about joining, watching and supporting Christmas Ships.”
To honor the Christmas Ships’ 70th year, Pettersen has been talking to locals to get more history and stories about the event. “On the docks last year as we were interviewing people, a gentleman approached me and said his grandmother was a Christmas Ship skipper in the very early days. He remembered she had made a lighted reindeer display with movable legs. He and other children were in the bottom of the boat manually moving the legs. Those were the days!”
Of course, throughout the duration of its 70-year run, there were bound to be some hardships. “When COVID hit, everyone asked if Christmas Ships were still going to parade,” Pettersen said. “We looked at each other and said ‘Of course!’ Christmas Ships is what the world needs. Something to remind us of joy, childhood memories, happier times and hope for the future. That’s what Christmas Ships has always meant to us. Joy and hope, and we are thankful that we can share that with everyone who sees us.”
Some residents like Janet Alder look forward to the parade all year. “Our family watches the Christmas Ships every year when they come to the Port of Camas-Washougal in early December. We look forward to the event each year. For us, it’s the start of the holiday season,” she said.
The Alders have even created their own traditions around viewing the parade. “We have a historic locomotive horn that we started blowing at the end of the parade. We always get a response from the siren on the boat decorated as a fire engine, which is usually at the end of the line.”
The Alders are not the only ones. Washougal resident Ashley Schlauch and her family have a pact to watch the Christmas ships every year, no matter what. “One year, my husband and I were doing separate things before the Christmas Ships, so we were planning to meet up. Unfortunately, his car broke down, so we had to go rescue him . . . the kids were still convinced we had to go to the ships. Although they were just about heading down the river, we rushed down to the docks and were able catch the last few ships,” she said.
The tradition of watching the Christmas Ships began when Schlauch was young and has stayed with her throughout her adult life. Watching the Christmas Ships has led to many memorable moments for her whole family. “To us, it is an experience that has created so many memories . . . remember that one time at the Christmas Ships when it rained so hard on us? Or when the wind almost blew us away? The kiddos remember those moments,” she shared.
Here’s to 70 more wonderful years of Christmas Ships memories and traditions.
Read the full November 2024 issue here:
Learn about this year’s schedule at christmasships.org.
Go here to see Ho Ho Holiday Events happening all over Clark County and beyond.
