Holden Beach Inherits the Holiday Flotilla, and Its Quiet Season Gets a New Shape

"After much thought and consideration, we have made the decision that the 2025 OIB Holiday Flotilla was the end to a great tradition." The Ocean Isle Beach flotilla committee posted that statement on Sept. 9, ending an Intracoastal Waterway parade that started in 2003. Its last run in 2025 raised $52,291 for Brunswick Family Assistance.

Within weeks the boats had a new home port. The first Holden Beach Flotilla sails Saturday, Nov. 28. That date falls inside a stretch Holden Beach commissioners are also reconsidering, from the end of Festival by the Sea through the Polar Plunge in January. The town has seen this as its off-season. Two separate efforts this fall, one started by boaters and one by town officials, are treating those weeks as time for the people who live here.

How a Tradition Crossed the Waterway

The move began with one participant. Jason Murphy had run his boat in the Ocean Isle flotilla for several years. When he learned it would not return, he called the Holden Beach Marina, which signed on quickly and helped build local support. According to the organizers, Ashley Dyer did much of the groundwork that made the event possible. Murphy then teamed up with Keith Smith, who is a Holden Beach town commissioner, to bring it together.

The charity stayed the same. Proceeds from the Holden Beach event will go to Brunswick Family Assistance, the same Brunswick County nonprofit the Ocean Isle flotilla supported. That matters because the Ocean Isle committee's decision left BFA without a major annual fundraiser.

Running a flotilla takes a lot of work. Ocean Isle organizers once told The Brunswick Beacon that the event had grown into close to a full-time job for a small committee. From September through November they lined up sponsors, made and sold shirts, and arranged judges, prizes, raffles and the after-party. Holden Beach is starting smaller and sharing the load. The marina handles the finish and the judging, local restaurants host the after-parties, and entries are capped at 25 boats.

Where to Be on Nov. 28

The route runs along the island's own stretch of the Intracoastal. This schedule comes from the organizers' announcement in The Brunswick Beacon:

Because the route goes out and back, every boat passes the same stretch of shore twice. Organizers plan to space boats one to two minutes apart, so the procession should stay in view for a long time. Spectators get more than one look as the boats pass. Sailfish Park works for the 5:30 start, and the marina is where you'll see the boats come in and hear the results.

If you own a boat and want to join, registration is open at hbflotilla.com. The 25 spots go first come, first served, and registration closes once they fill. Sponsorships are expected to stay open through Oct. 28 or until all spots are taken.

The Town Is Debating the Same Weeks

The flotilla date sits inside a window the Board of Commissioners has been discussing since February. On Sept. 15, commissioners voted 3-1 to have staff draft the contract and fee-schedule changes needed to end paid parking after the NC Festival by the Sea and keep it free through the polar plunge in early January. Commissioner Tom Myers voted against the motion.

The background explains why this is coming up now. Holden Beach began charging for parking in 2022, but only from early April through the end of October. In 2025 the board extended it to the whole year. Current rates are $5 an hour for up to four hours, $20 a day for longer stays, and $80 for seven straight days. The proposal would bring back free parking for two of the months that went paid in 2025.

Mayor Pro Tem Page Dyer first raised a shorter paid season in February, saying she had heard from residents who wanted to use public parking in the quieter winter months. She told the board the town lacks enough public spaces to give free permits to everyone who wants one, so a free November and December would act as goodwill. Commissioner Sylvia Pate pointed to property owners who can only come during those months. Commissioner Smith, who is also helping run the flotilla, called year-round enforcement a mistake the change would fix. Myers questioned whether residents would be the main beneficiaries. He said winter visitors without annual permits might gain the most.

Revenue is part of the debate. Town Manager Bryan Chadwick said parking revenue from January through August 2026 was about $41,000 below the same period in 2025. For the fiscal year that began July 1, the gap so far is $19,000. The current budget already assumes $50,000 less in parking revenue to allow for free November and December parking. So the town has already planned for the cost. Chadwick also warned against pinning the decline on any one cause, noting that July 2026 brought in about $1,500 more than July 2025.

Nothing is final yet. The parking schedule returns for discussion and possible action at the board's Oct. 27 meeting.

How the Next Eight Weeks Line Up

Taken together, the confirmed dates follow a clear order:

1. Oct. 24 and 25, NC Festival by the Sea. The Greater Holden Beach Merchants Association hosts it. The parade crosses the Holden Beach Causeway Saturday at 10 a.m., with vehicle closures starting around 9:30 a.m. and pedestrian access across the bridge during the closure. More than 160 arts-and-crafts vendors set up near Jordan Boulevard and the Holden Beach Pavilion, open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission and parking are free.
2. Oct. 27, Board of Commissioners meeting. This is the possible vote on free parking after the festival.
3. Oct. 28, expected close of flotilla sponsorships, unless the spots fill sooner.
4. Oct. 30, Barktoberfest and Monster Mash Trunk-or-Treat at Bridgeview Park. Barktoberfest starts at 4:30 p.m., and the trunk-or-treat runs 5:30 to 7 p.m., according to the town's Parks & Recreation page.
5. Nov. 28, the first Holden Beach Flotilla, from Sailfish Park to The Wharf and back to the marina.

If the board approves the change on Oct. 27, items four and five would fall in the first free-parking stretch since year-round enforcement began.

What Isn't on the Calendar Yet

December and January are still mostly unannounced. In 2025, Holden Beach held its tree lighting at Bridgeview Park on Thursday, Dec. 4, and held a Reindeer Dash & Santa Saunter and a Sandy Paws dog parade at Town Hall that Saturday, Dec. 6. We have not seen 2026 dates for any of them. As of early October, the town's calendar lists only yoga classes for Jan. 1, 2027, and no Polar Plunge date or beneficiary has been posted. The town calendar on hbtownhall.com is the place to check as those dates appear.

Block Q, the town's new concert venue, opened in July 2026 along with new restrooms. Its fall listings so far are regular Yoga and Yoga Sculpt classes, with no winter concerts announced.

Along the flotilla route, Holden Beach Marina lists hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily on its 2026 homepage. Provision Company has posted its summer hours and says it is open for the 2026 season, but it has not said when the season ends. We found no posted winter schedule for The Wharf Restaurant. If you're planning dinner around the boats on Nov. 28, call ahead.

If you're weighing what a quieter season means for your Holden Beach property, whether as a second home, a rental or a year-round residence, the team at Hank Troscianiec & Associates follows these town decisions as they happen. Schedule a Free Consultation and we'll walk you through what's changing on the island this winter.