Pull up a chair, pull out a blanket and grab a cup of hot chocolate: It’s parade season on the Big Island.
The festivities begin today with the 31st annual Downtown Hilo Christmas Light Parade and continue every Saturday for the next two weeks.
Pahoa and Waimea host their parades Dec. 3. Keaau and Kona hold theirs Dec. 10.
On Tuesday this week, volunteers and crews from TNT Electric and the county Department of Public Works Traffic Division were downtown installing Christmas lights and decorations in advance of the upcoming parade.
The Hilo parade was nearly cancelled last year because of a lack of funds, but a communitywide effort led by Lani Shigehara Walters kept the annual tradition alive. Support from businesses such as Ken’s House of Pancakes, Aiona Car Sales and KWXX, as well as contributions from the mayor’s office and numerous East Hawaii residents, came in after a call for donations went out.
“Last year, with the amount of money that was raised, we were lucky enough to (get) two parades,” Shigehara Walters said. “So we’re good for next year, too. We’re just trying to keep it where we’re planning ahead.”
KTA Super Stores will be this year’s grand marshal. More than 40 floats and participants have already signed up.
“We’ll still be taking people the day of the parade, if they show up by 4:30,” Shigehara Walters said. “We don’t want to turn anybody away. The more the merrier. Everybody wants to share the Christmas spirit.”
The makahiki spirit gets the spotlight during Pahoa’s annual parade next week. Sponsored by the Mainstreet Pahoa Association, the themed parade begins in the morning and is followed by a ho‘olaulea hosted by Pahoa High and Pahoa Intermediate students.
“We wanted to highlight the Hawaiian season of focusing on the bounty of the land,” said parade committee chairman Henry Brazil, adding that the committee looked forward to seeing the “creativity of Puna.”
Nancy Kramer, a Pahoa accountant, is the grand marshal.
Ambitious paradegoers can head north after the ho‘olaulea to get prime seats for Waimea’s Twilight Parade, which takes place the same day.
“The island usually tips a little bit to the north that night, because 12,000 to 15,000 people come,” said parade organizer Patti Cook.
The parade, now in its 56th year, is one of the oldest in the state.
In anticipation of this year’s crowds, organizers lengthened the parade route through downtown Waimea so more people can get better views of the dozens of lighted trucks and floats passing by.
The trucks are the parade’s “signature,” Cook said.
Master navigator Milton “Shorty” Bertelmann of Waimea is this year’s grand marshal.
Volunteers collect donations throughout the parade for the Big Island Giving Tree.
Twilight parades continue on Dec. 10. Keaau’s 13th annual Christmas Lights Parade usually features about 50 floats.
“We always get a good turnout,” said parade committee member Jeanine Acia.
Acia said that one of the “unique and terrific” things about the Keaau parade is its roaming choirs.
The choirs are positioned throughout the parade route, with one group announcing the start of the parade by walking the route before the floats themselves arrive.
This year’s parade theme is “Local Kine Christmas.”
The Keaau parade takes place rain or shine.
“Hopefully, it’s shine (this year),” Acia said.
Kona’s parade, which takes place the same day as Keaau’s, includes the 5th annual Menehune Holiday Food Drive, with contributions going to the Hawaii Food Basket. The food drive is a joint effort of the parade committee, the Food Basket and Rotary Clubs of West Hawaii.
The “Hawaiian Style Christmas” parade takes floats around downtown and Alii Drive.
Email Ivy Ashe at iashe@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
Parade start times and road closures:
Hilo: 6 p.m. today
Kamehameha Avenue will be closed from Waianuenue Avenue to Pauahi Street. Kilauea Avenue is also closed at Pauahi Street. Keawe Street is closed at Waianuenue Avenue.
Pahoa: 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 3
Old Government Road will be closed from Apaa Street to Ka‘ohe Homestead Road from 9-11:30 a.m.
Waimea: 5:45 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3
Only emergency vehicles are allowed through the town center between 5:30 and 6:45 p.m.
Kona: 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec 10
Roads will be blocked along Kuakini Highway and Alii Drive at the following intersections: Loloku Street, Kaiwi Street, Palani Road, Kahikana Lane, Kakina Lane, Hualalai Road, Walua Road.
Keaau: 5:45 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10
Keaau-Pahoa Road will be closed from Keaau High School to Old Volcano Road. Old Volcano Road will be closed from Milo Street to Keaau-Pahoa Road. Roads will re-open after 7 p.m.
