TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Lightning will be honored with a boat parade in this year's Boom by the Bay celebration on July 4, the city of Tampa announced in a news release Wednesday.
People who will be participating in the boat parade are encouraged to decorate their boats with Lightning accessories and Independence Day-themed displays.
“Boats will be decked out in red, white and Bolts blue while competing for most patriotic boat and best-decorated Lightning boat!” MaryBeth Williams, executive director of Friends of the Riverwalk, said in a statement. “We are thrilled to be able to celebrate both the holiday and our Tampa Bay Lightning."
The route for the parade will begin at the Tampa Convention Center basin and end at Sparkman Wharf. There will also be a water ski show, a poker run and a blessing station during the boat parade, the news release mentioned.
To be eligible for prizes and a Captain's Dinner, people must sign up in advance and register with the Friends of the Riverwalk.
There will also be a large Bolts banner at Curtis Hixon Park for fans to sign and share their thanks to the team for reaching the Stanley Cup Final in the last three seasons.
“This year’s team battled back countless times and came so close to hoisting the Stanley Cup for the third year in a row,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said. “They truly made us Champa Bay proud. The Bolts gave us everything they had. This is just one way the community can say thank you for the season.”
Although fans will be celebrating the Lightning's success, the city said there will be no players from the team at the boat parade.
Boom by the Bay, the free annual event in Tampa, is scheduled for July 4 and families can watch the fireworks from Sparkman Wharf, Armature Works and Bayshore Boulevard.
There will also be food trucks and live music at the event.
After lifting the Stanley Cup in 2020 and 2021, the Bolts fell two games short to claim the trophy again in three straight years when they lost against the Colorado Avalanche in Game 6 on Sunday.
To learn more about Boom by the Bay, click here.