Despite a series of eleventh-hour changes, plans for the Annual Lights on Rice holiday parade are now finalized and everything is set to go this Friday, Dec. 6. Parade committee members say credit for the “green light” should go to
Despite a series of eleventh-hour changes, plans for the Annual Lights on Rice holiday parade are now finalized and everything is set to go this Friday, Dec. 6.
Parade committee members say credit for the “green light” should go to Young Brothers and numerous people from the County of Kaua’i.
The lights extravaganza starts at 6:30 p.m. from the corner of Hardy and Rice Streets and finishes at the lawn of the historic County Building, which will be festive with its display of decorations and lights that officially opens in a ceremony at 6 p.m.
Kaua’i Museum will also have its two-day Annual Christmas Craft Fair, offering shoppers an opportunity to browse through local and off-island vendors’ wares.
The public is asked to be aware that special traffic advisories and traffic patterns will be in effect for the parade. The parade staging site has been moved this year because of events booked at Kaua’i War Memorial Convention Hall and Vidinha Stadium. Staging will be done this year on Ho’olako Road from the corner of Rice Street, extending to the Halau St. corner at the Kaua’i Collision Center. These changes will affect area residents and businesses.
Kaua’i Police Department will shut down Ho’olako Road in the affected areas at 5 p.m. Oihana Road in the Lihu’e Industrial Park, Phase I will be limited to local traffic only, and parade participants are asked to enter the staging area using Halau Street at Kapule Highway. To alleviate traffic congestion, participants are urged to carpool as well as utilize right turns, coming down Kapule Highway and turning right at Halau. At 6 p.m., Rice Street from Ho’olako Road to Eiwa Street will be shut down completely until the parade is over.
Spectators are urged to exercise caution when finding seats and to carry working flashlights to help find a spot once the sun goes down. Parking will be available around Lihu’e area and the Big Kmart where two shuttles will provide rides to and from the parade starting at 5 p.m.
Spectators are also encouraged to be extra careful when negotiating areas where construction is taking place. These include the building between Punua Insurance and Don’s Camera and Fine Jewelry, and the Bistro eatery across Rice Shopping Center.
