The Christmas Regatta's Founding Story Starts With a Name on the Swing Bridge

In 1984, Susie Watson, her husband Royce and her uncle Poo McLauchlin got to talking about a trip to Florida, where they had watched a boat parade. Fishing tournament season was over and the weather was still nice, so the regatta's own history page says, "the three hatched a plan."

That plan became the Intracoastal Christmas Regatta. It is still held on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, which this year is November 28, 2026. The flotilla leaves Little River Inlet around 5 p.m. and reaches Dock Holidays Marina in North Myrtle Beach around 7 p.m. It costs nothing to watch.

Most holiday roundups list it beside the light shows and tree lightings as one more seasonal event. On closer look it is something smaller and more local. A few families built it, a few dozen volunteers run it, and the boats exist mainly to fill toy bins for children in Horry County.

A Name Most People Drive Over Without Reading

If you've crossed the Intracoastal on Little River Neck Road, you've been on the Captain Archie Neil "Poo" McLauchlin Swing Bridge, also known as the Little River Swing Bridge. Cherry Grove Marina, one of the regatta's official viewing spots, sits just north of it.

The regatta's history page calls its third founder "Captain Poo." The North Myrtle Beach Times uses the same name, crediting the parade to "the late Royce Watson, Susie Watson and Captain Poo McLauchlin." The parade runs south from the marina just above the bridge to the finish at Dock Holidays, so every year the boats float past a bridge with that name on it.

The founding group grew slowly and stayed local. According to the history page, the event "soon grew to be too much for just the three to handle," and Pam Alexander and Dawn Fowler joined in its sixth year. The committee now also includes Ginny Maynard, Penelope Hinson, Ann Maynard, Sarah Faulk, Jackie Perry-Medlin, Helen Bush, Tommae Riley, Lisa Stacy and Cathy Honeycutt. Each member handles a specific job. The organizers call this group "Santa's Angels," with Susie Watson named as founder and volunteers serving as Santa's Elves.

The parade has stayed steady, too. When the North Myrtle Beach Times covered the 2025 regatta, it noted that Cynthia Russell's "RussellHatt," third in the 46-to-55-foot class, has appeared every year since the first regatta.

Two Towns, One Two-Hour Route

The founders picked a stretch of water that crosses a town line, and the viewing list follows it. The organizers name 14 official viewing locations. They also say the parade "can be viewed anywhere in between" the start and finish where you can see the water, and they ask spectators to "be mindful of businesses & residents."

Here are the spots in the order the organizers list them. The site gives start and end times but no arrival time for each stop, so plan for "sometime between 5 and 7."

1. Grand Harbour Marina, Little River. This is where the parade starts. The marina now goes by North Myrtle Beach Marina, at 4430 Kingsport Road.
2. Blue Drum Waterfront, which shares the 4430 Kingsport Road address in Little River.
3. Crab Catchers, Little River, on Water Front Avenue.
4. Hurricane Juel's Restaurant, Little River, overlooking the Intracoastal.
5. Mako's on the Water, Little River, formerly Makos Bar & Grill.
6. Snooky's
7. MB Yacht Club, in Coquina Harbor, Little River, at ICW mile marker 346.
8. Officer's Club, which looks out over Coquina Harbor.
9. Cherry Grove Marina, 2201 Little River Neck Road, North Myrtle Beach, just north of the swing bridge.
10. Captain Archie's, North Myrtle Beach, on the waterway.
11. Harbourgate Marina
12. Filet's, at Harbourgate Marina by the swing bridge.
13. Local on the Water, 1525 13th Avenue North, North Myrtle Beach.
14. Boardwalk Billy's, at Dock Holidays Marina, where the parade ends.

Roughly the first half of the list is in Little River, around Kingsport Road and Coquina Harbor. The second half is in North Myrtle Beach, from the swing bridge down to Dock Holidays. If you're in Cherry Grove, the bridge-side cluster of Cherry Grove Marina, Captain Archie's and Filet's is the closest group. If you're farther south in town, Local on the Water and Boardwalk Billy's put you at the end of the route, where the boats finish.

In its 2025 viewing guide, The Sun News reported that many restaurants and venues along the route take special reservations for regatta night. It also said that finding a viewing spot and parking "can be problematic," and that people willing to scout early can watch from anywhere between the official stops.

What Last Year's Parade Looked Like

The North Myrtle Beach Times called the 2025 event the 41st regatta and said it drew "thousands of spectators" on "a clear and cold evening." Boats ranged from 24 to 55 feet. The overall winner, a Grinch-themed boat called "MerSea," beat 36 other entries, so the field was 37 boats.

Boats are judged by length on parade night. According to the boaters page, each class has a best-in-class prize, and the overall winner gets a cash prize sponsored by Crab Catchers, one of the Little River viewing spots.

A lineup of 37 boats is neighborhood scale. Many of the winners are private boats in small and mid-size classes, and the event has kept one family's boat in the parade since the first year.

The Lights Are Really a Toy Drive

The history page says outright that the regatta "is more than just a boat parade." Through fundraising and toy drives, Yachts for Tots helps children across Horry County year-round who "might be falling through the cracks of traditional agencies that provide assistance." It also makes yearly contributions to Camp Chemo, Teen Angels and other local charities.

The way needs get identified is very local. As the history page describes it:

Committee members rely on the counselors in the schools to make them aware of the needs they see among the children in their own schools.

Cash and new, unwrapped toys help the committee make sure every child has a present to open on Christmas morning. Some years ago the group began collecting pet food and supplies for local humane societies as well. The committee's own funds come from selling sweatshirts and long-sleeved T-shirts. Pet donations go to the NMB Humane Society.

This is why the viewing list and the donation list largely match. The toy-drop page accepts new, unwrapped toys, cat and dog food, kitty litter and money. Its drop-off locations include Blue Drum, Cherry Grove Marina, Crab Catchers, Grand Harbour Marina, Hurricane Juel's, Local on the Water, Myrtle Beach Yacht Club, Snooky's in Little River, Filet's, Harbourgate Marina and Boardwalk Billy's. The businesses where people watch the parade are also where people can drop off donations.

After the 2025 parade, the North Myrtle Beach Times reported that donations would go to needy families around Christmas and that collection boxes were still accepting more. The toy-drop page says donations are accepted "through Dec 24th." The page doesn't list a year, so check it again closer to the holiday.

Before November 28

• Pick your half of the route. Choose a Little River spot near Kingsport Road or Coquina Harbor if you want to see the boats early, or a North Myrtle Beach spot near the swing bridge or Dock Holidays if you'd rather catch the finish.
• Call ahead for a table. The Sun News reported that waterfront venues take special reservations for the night.
• Bring something for the bins. A new, unwrapped toy or a bag of pet food goes straight into the program the parade supports.
• Stay on public ground. The organizers specifically ask viewers to respect businesses and residents along the water.
• Got a boat? The boaters page links to the parade application and captain's meeting details. It doesn't list fees or deadlines, so read it early.

A lot of what I love about the Grand Strand happens on the water, right along this stretch where Little River turns into North Myrtle Beach. If you're new to the area and want help figuring out which side of the swing bridge feels like home, or you just want to compare notes on the best bridge-side spot for watching the boats, Megan Parker would love to hear from you. Let's Connect.