Parades all across the Big Island bring the holiday spirit to locals and visitors

Throughout the next three weeks, communities in every district of the Big Island are invited to celebrate the holiday season with parades and festivities. 

The annual Downtown Hilo Lights Parade on Saturday will open the holiday season with 69 groups creating floats designed around the theme: “Christmas Around the World, May it be Merry and Light.”

Each year, Four Lions Club groups – Akaka Falls, Hilo Crescent City, Waiakea and Hilo – form the East Hawaiʻi Lions Club and work together to put on the parade. 

“Planning for the next year starts as soon as the parade is done,” parade coordinator Nate Tajon said. “The fundraising committee starts work to get a campaign in place by the first quarter of the upcoming year.”

To make things a little different this year, organizers created more categories for parade viewers to vote for their favorite entries. Members of the Hilo High Leo Club will be marching in the parade with QR codes that will take viewers to the website to vote. 

“We have come up with some fun, fanciful categories so there’s more chances for the participants to get recognized,” Tajon said. “We also wanted viewers to have an easier way to participate and vote right after watching the parade.”

• Kaiaulu Award is the “Peopleʻs Choice” award
• Menehune Magic Award is for the best entry featuring children
• Holiday Mele Award is for the entry with the best musical performance
• Festive Trooper Award is for the best marching or walking entry
• Shakakalikimaka Award is for the entry with most spirited participants
• Winter Buggy Award is for the best display on wheels
• Fruitcake Award is the entry with most humorous display

The parade route will start from Piopio Street and turn left on Pauahi Street. Next it turns right on Kīlauea Avenue continuing onto Keawe Street. It makes a right turn on Waiānuenue Avenue and another right onto Kamehameha Avenue to end at Bishop Street. This route will be closed from 5:30 to 9 p.m.

Kamehameha Avenue from Pauahi Street to Manono Street will be closed at 4:30 p.m. for parade staging. 

There will be no parking on part of Keawe Street and along Waiānuenue Avenue between Keawe and Kamehameha Avenue. 

Mainstreet Pāhoa Associationʻs 31st annual Pāhoa Holiday Parade will be held on Dec. 7, beginning at 9 a.m. with the theme of “E hoʻolauleʻa i ka ʻāina a me ke kai – Celebrating the Land and Sea.”

The Hawaiʻi Police Department will be leading the parade as it travels down Old Pāhoa Village Road beginning at Apaʻa Road and ending at Pāhoa High and Intermediate School. The road will be closed to traffic from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The Pāhoa Hoʻolaulea will follow the parade from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Pāhoa High and Intermediate School with food, crafts, games, music, photos with Santa and holiday shopping. 

The 64th annual Waimea Twilight Christmas Parade also will be on Dec. 7 with the theme: “A Waimea Christmas Memory.”

The parade starts at 6 p.m. It will exit Waimea Park, turn left onto Kawaihae Road across from Habitat for Humanity Restore, turn left onto Mamalahoa Highway to travel through the town center, turn right onto Pukalani Road, and turn right onto Ala ʻOhia to end at the Kalani Schutte Waimea District Park.

Cars will not be allowed to move along the parade route from 5:55 to 7:15 p.m. and there will be no traffic from east to west or west to east through Waimea during the parade. 

This year the Big Island Giving Tree Bucket Brigade will fan out along the parade route before the first floats pass to give spectators an opportunity to support its holiday outreach to people in need.

Food trucks will be staged at two food zones along the longer parade route. The first zone will be behind Waimea Elementary and Middle School in the gravel area and the second zone will be at the Pukalani Stables parking lot. 

The last three parades in Kailua-Kona, Keaʻau and Pahala will finish the holiday season on Dec. 14. 

Before its second annual parade, Pahala will host its first tree lighting ceremony with food vendors and hula performances at Pahala Plantation Cottages at 6 p.m. on Dec. 13. Everyone is encouraged to bring chairs to the event. 

“After having our first parade last year and seeing everybody come together, we wanted to make it a weekend full of festivities,” organizer Shai Lopez-Castaneda said. “I think it’s important to keep traditions going and just have time to celebrate with friends and family.”

The second annual Pahala Lighted Christmas Parade will begin at 6 p.m. on Dec. 14 with the route to start on Pikake Street at 96-3207 Maile Street, turn right at Kamani Street, turn right into Kaʻu hospital to make a loop and turn back onto Kamani to finish at the Pahala Community Center. 

“Last year, the parade had several participants and the streets were full of people, which is amazing for our small town,” Lopez-Castaneda said. “This year, weʻre inviting everyone to stay at the Community Center for free chili bowls, hot dogs and photos with Santa Claus.”

On Friday, a portion of Kamani Street will be closed from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. and on Saturday, Kamani and Pikake Streets will be closed from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

The 40th annual Kailua-Kona Community Christmas Parade will be from 5 to 7 p.m. on Dec. 14, from 5 to 7 p.m. with the theme: “Magical Storybook Christmas.”

The parade will begin at the Kekuaokalani Gymnasium parking lot near the Kona Community Aquatic Center and wind its way down Kuakini Highway to Palani Street and down Aliʻi Drive through Kailua Village.

The Hawaiʻi Island Food Basket volunteers will be walking the parade route collecting food donations from parade viewers, so everyone is encouraged to bring canned food or nonperishable food donations. 

Rounding out the holiday parades will be the 21st annual Keaʻau Lighted Christmas Parade beginning at 6 p.m. on Dec. 14 with the theme: “Christmas Cheers for 21 Years.”

The parade will begin at Keaʻau High School and travel down Keaʻau-Pahoa Road to finish at the town center.