News Release: 11/3/2026

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Siesta Key Chamber Member Barefoot Tiki Tours to Ride in the 40th Sarasota Holiday Boat Parade of Lights, With the Whole Boat Open to One Private Group

A thatched-roof tiki boat joins the parade’s 40th anniversary on December 12, and one group of up to 16 can ride along
SARASOTA, Fla. (November 3, 2026) – Barefoot Tiki Tours, a Sarasota tiki boat company and Siesta Key Chamber member, has registered as an official entry in the 40th annual Sarasota Holiday Boat Parade of Lights on Saturday, December 12, 2026. Instead of selling individual seats, Barefoot Tiki is offering its entire decorated boat to a single private group of up to 16 guests, so a family, an office team or a group of friends can ride in the parade together.
The Holiday Boat Parade of Lights is one of Sarasota’s best-loved holiday traditions, filling Sarasota Bay with lit and decorated boats that pass Marina Jack and the downtown bayfront. The parade benefits Suncoast Charities for Children, a nonprofit that supports local organizations serving children and adults with special needs.
“Most people watch the boat parade from the seawall. We wanted to give one group the chance to ride in the parade itself,” said Stephen Coulter, owner and USCG-licensed captain of Barefoot Tiki Tours. “For our first year in the parade, it felt right to keep it personal: one boat, one group, and a front-row seat to the best night of the season on the bay.”
For Coulter, the cause behind the parade is personal. He spent many years as a Special Olympics sailing coach, helping athletes of all abilities build confidence and skill on the water.
“Some of the proudest days of my life were spent on the water with Special Olympics sailors,” Coulter said. “Watching an athlete take the tiller for the first time and realize what they can do is something you never forget. To have our boat in a parade that supports individuals with different abilities means the world to me. I’m thrilled to be part of it.”

Parade night aboard Barefoot Tiki

  • Date: Saturday, December 12, 2026
  • Boarding: check-in at 5:00 PM, departure around 5:30 PM, return around 8:30 PM, from 1101 10th Street, downtown Sarasota. Final times follow the parade’s captain’s meeting on December 8, and the booked group receives them on December 9.
  • The boat: a custom 2022 tiki boat with a thatched roof, inspected and certified by the U.S. Coast Guard for up to 16 passengers, with a restroom on board and a licensed captain on every trip
  • Bring the party: guests 21 and over may bring their own drinks, and everyone is welcome to bring food and holiday treats. Coolers, ice and water are provided.
  • All ages welcome: kids and families are encouraged, and holiday sweaters are, too
  • Weather: if the parade runs, the boat sails. If organizers postpone or cancel, Barefoot Tiki follows the organizers’ plan.
Only one group can book the boat for parade night. Reservations are available at barefoottiki.com/sarasota-holiday-boat-parade-charter or by calling 941-866-3000.

More holiday lights from the water

For guests who can’t make parade night, Barefoot Tiki Tours is also launching its first Holiday Lights Cruise this season. The 90-minute evening cruise runs Thursday through Sunday from December 3, 2026, through January 3, 2027, from 7:15 to 8:45 PM, with hot cocoa and blankets on board. There is no cruise on December 12, when the boat is in the parade, or on Christmas Day, and Christmas Eve is booked by phone only. Private holiday lights charters for up to 16 guests are also available. Details: barefoottiki.com/holiday-lights-cruise-sarasota.

About Barefoot Tiki Tours

Barefoot Tiki Tours offers BYOB tiki boat cruises and private charters on Sarasota Bay, including sunset cruises, sandbar excursions and dolphin and mimosa cruises. Its Coast Guard–inspected boat carries up to 16 guests, with a thatched roof, a restroom on board and a licensed captain on every trip. Public cruises board in downtown Sarasota, and private charters can be picked up at the Nora Patterson Park dock on Siesta Key. Barefoot Tiki Tours is a member of the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce and the Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce, and is a Visit Sarasota County partner. Learn more at barefoottiki.com.

Media contact

Stephen Coulter, Owner
Barefoot Tiki Tours
941-866-3000 | stephen@barefoottiki.com
barefoottiki.com
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News Release: 11/3/2026