Lights on Rice holiday parade Friday

LIHUE — “We’re going,” said Eileen Winters of the Rotary Club of Kauai, chair for the Lights on Rice holiday parade. “People keep calling and asking if we have rain days, or an alternate plan in case it rains. I just tell them, ‘We’re going. Rain, or shine — the parade will go.’”

The Lights on Rice holiday parade presented by the Rotary Club of Kauai starts at 6:30 p.m. from the intersection of Rice and Ho‘olako streets, winding its up on Rice Street to end at Elua Street where it is greeted by the lights of the Historic County Building and the Festival of Lights.

Winters said at last count, there are more than 1,000 walkers and more than 60 floats committed to the parade.

“This is one of Kauai’s largest attractions, a must-see event that you want to bring your whole family to,” she said.

The Kauai Police Department will close streets along the parade route from roughly 5:30 p.m. until the conclusion of the parade. The bus stop on Eiwa Street will be temporarily relocated to Hardy Street fronting the state building from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday.

No parking will be allowed along the parade route, including Eiwa and Umi streets after 4:30 p.m. There will also be no parking allowed in the parking lots of the Historic County Building and the state building parking lots from 4:30 p.m. to midnight to allow parade floats parking.

To accommodate the Kauai Museum Christmas Craft Fair, there will be no access to the Lihue Civic Center parking lot through the Eiwa Street entrance from 4:30 p.m. today until noon Saturday.

The Kukui Grove Center will be offering a free shuttle service from the First Hawaiian Bank bus stop to the First Hawaiian Bank, Lihue Branch from 5 to 9 p.m.

The last run leaves the First Hawaiian Bank, Lihue Branch at 9 p.m. That coincides with the start of the Holiday Lights Spectacular at the shopping center in front of the Jamba Juice and Starbucks area.