WAIMEA — Thousands of people lined Kaumuali‘i Highway and some of the feeder streets for the 17th annual Waimea Lighted Christmas Parade, Saturday. Traffic along the main thoroughfare in Waimea Town was shut down shortly after 5 p.m., but seats,
WAIMEA — Thousands of people lined Kaumuali‘i Highway and some of the feeder streets for the 17th annual Waimea Lighted Christmas Parade, Saturday.
Traffic along the main thoroughfare in Waimea Town was shut down shortly after 5 p.m., but seats, umbrellas, and other place holders appeared on the sidewalks long before that.
“We’ve got the food coming,” said Irving Soto from in front of the Kaua‘i Community Federal Credit Union building which was decorated for the event. “We got here early to avoid the road closure.”
The parking lot of Ishihara Market is normally bustling with automotive traffic, but for Saturday afternoon, the cars were replaced with volunteers who worked between manning grills of kiawe fires grilling batches of steak, the process emanating clouds of aromatic smoke while a sign advertised its “Pulehu Steak” offering.
Ishihara Market was voted tops in the Most Brilliant category during the Waimea Christmas Street Front Lighting Contest judged earlier in the week.
“We don’t judge any of the floats for the parade, but the store fronts get judged,” said Chris Faye, longtime parade supporter and organizer.
The West Inn, recently opened and located across the street from Yumi’s, received runner up honors in the Most Brilliant category while Yumi’s was runner up in the Most Traditional category.
The Subway building in Waimea, complete with its gallery in the senatorial seats for the parade, captured top honors in the Most Traditional category.
The Shrimp Station, Waimea, with its herd of shrimp pulling a sleigh of holiday finery topped the Most Creative category while Service Master Clean, complete with a float entry in the parade, received runner up honors.
Aloha n Paradise, along the Post Office row, topped the Most Beautiful category while the Waimea Fire Department, complete with a “manned” rescue jet ski, was the Biggest and Brightest.
“There were some very strong competition out there making it quite a chore to decide the top place finishers,” Faye said. “The fire department plans on adding a layer of ‘snow’ to its fire station themed display and a couple of businesses did a creative job of fitting their displays to their businesses, including Service Master with red, green and white buffing pads hanging from the Christmas trim and the Shrimp Station with its shrimp drawn shell carriage.”
Hofgaard Park, centrally located in Waimea town, had earlier been lavishly decked out with holiday lights by representatives of the West Kaua‘i Professional and Business Association as well as the Main Street program.
During Saturday’s parade, it served as information central, the county’s mobile stage blocking the entrance to the First Hawaiian Bank, but everyone partaking in refreshments provided by the WKPBA.
The public is invited to view the lighted displays which is expected to remain on each night through the holidays.
“Waimea is truly the most decorated town on Kaua‘i,” Faye said.
The parade, hosted by the West Kaua‘i Professional and Business Association and the Main Street program, is traditionally held on the Saturday before Christmas.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
