October 14, 2026
Date: Saturday, December 5, 2026
Parade start: 5 p.m.
Location: The Village of Baytowne Wharf at Sandestin
Admission: Free
Baytowne Wharf’s Lantern Parade is created by and features artist Chantelle Rytter and the Krewe of the Grateful Gluttons, with about a dozen giant lantern puppets winding through the Village. Anyone can make a lantern and march, and decorated golf carts can ride in the parade if they register with the organizers first (details are on the Village’s page).
After the parade, the puppets gather by the Christmas tree. The Village notes that more 2026 details are coming, so check back before the day.
Before you make the drive: we confirmed this listing on The Village of Baytowne Wharf’s events calendar on October 14, 2026, five days after Hurricane Isaias came ashore near Destin. Plans along 30A and US 98 can still shift during storm recovery, so confirm with the organizer before you go.
Sources: Baytowne Wharf December calendar