LIHU‘E — Thousands of people flooded Rice Street to welcome in the holidays with the Lights on Rice holiday parade, Friday. With over 70 parade entries, it was, once again, the largest edition of the parade. Throughout the day, people
LIHU‘E — Thousands of people flooded Rice Street to welcome in the holidays with the Lights on Rice holiday parade, Friday. With over 70 parade entries, it was, once again, the largest edition of the parade.
Throughout the day, people mingled and browsed through the craft fair hosted by the Kaua‘i Museum in celebration of its 50th anniversary, the event featuring several vendors offering unique items such as the Kaua‘i Woodturners who aren’t found at too many other craft fairs.
Additionally, a variety of food concessions benefiting local organizations such as the Kaiola Canoe Club offered an array of local favorites from snacks to full plate lunches throughout the day.
The craft fair and food concessions continued through Saturday, but the highlight of the day was the parade which drew people to Rice Street from as early as lunchtime.
Stan Morinaka of Kaua‘i Veterans Express said he had three rigs and drivers participating in the parade with different groups, one being the Grove Farm Museum which brought Paulo, its steam locomotive, out for a night outing.
“This is for the kids,” Morinaka said. “It’s one time in the year, and you have to do it for the kids.”
His drivers agreed, one noting that he’s not driving currently because there’re no jobs, but he came out to support his fellow drivers who are driving.
Fredstan Kaluahine, whose driver and rig transported the Lihu‘e Hongwanji Preschool and PATCH unit, said he painted his truck especially for the parade.
“I saw it last year, and it looked pretty dirty, so this year we painted it red so it would look good,” he said while adjusting carpeting so his preschool children would be more comfortable on the trip from the Vidinha Stadium parking lot to the Historic County Building.
Bill Arakaki, state Department of Education Kaua‘i Area Complex superintendent, viewed the parade and was happy with the involvement of the public schools, pointing to a number of Key Club participants who walked the parade with members of the host Kiwanis Club.
Other schools participating included the Jr. ROTC units from Waimea and Kapa‘a high schools, the cheer squads of both Kaua‘i and Kapa‘a high schools, Wilcox Elementary School, the bands from Kaua‘i High School and the Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School, and the choir and ‘ukulele band from Kapa‘a Middle School, who anchored the float entered by Walmart.
“Lighting is key to this whole thing,” said Nancy Hubler of the Boy Scouts of America Aloha Council. “We were in it last year, and we are learning from each time. Lighting is key.”
The Boy Scouts not only participated as paraders, Troops 148 and 83, sponsored by the Lihu‘e Christian Church and the Lihu‘e Hongwanji Mission, respectively, did ‘opala (rubbish) pickup around the Historic County Building, their efforts getting a big boost from Garden Isle Disposal, which provided a trash bin for the ‘opala collection, and the Hawai‘i Hotel and Lodging Association, hosts of the annual Visitor Industry Charity Walk, which offered refreshments to the Scout volunteers headed by Lyle Tabata, recently appointed deputy county engineer.
The County of Kaua‘i is one of the major partners in making the parade possible, the other pillars being the Young Brothers Community Advisory Board, the Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau, which hosts the event website, the Big Kmart, which offers free shuttle service to and from the event, and scores of other volunteers.
Waimea town lights up on Dec. 18 when the West Kaua‘i Business and Professional Association hosts its annual Waimea Lighted Christmas Parade starting at 6 p.m.
• Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
