LIHU‘E — The Rice Street Business Association is inviting people to join the excitement of installing holiday lights along Rice Street from the Bank of Hawai‘i to the Ace Hardware store on Ho‘olako Street.
“Holidays are here, and what better way to celebrate it than with some Holiday Lights,” said Dr. Addison Bulosan of the Rice Street Business Association. “We would love for the community to join us to install the lights.”
The group will meet at the historic County Building lawn starting at 5 p.m., Nov. 19, and proceed along Rice Street, installing lights on each tree.
“Please join us,” Bulosan said. “Wear face masks and socially-distance, please.”
Holly Ka‘iakapu of the Mo‘olelo Murals said they will join the group, taking up the invitation.
“We’ll be there,” Ka‘iakapu said, working on a utility box on Ride Street, Friday afternoon. “Last year, Dr. Bulosan did the whole thing himself. This sounds like fun, and we can join in from the Aloha Friday program.”
Ka‘iakapu was working on decorating a utility box fronting the Island Comfort station along Rice Street as part of the Aloha Friday program where artists and musicians work on projects on Kress Street from 2 p.m. until it gets dark.
“Today is the last of the boxes,” Ka‘iakapu said. “Bree Blake is working on another box at Kalena Park across from Tanaka Store, and the last box is in front of Kaua‘i Villas. I think Bethany Coma is working on that box with something purple.”
Ka‘iakapu said there are other utility boxes that are calling for attention, but the group needs to fundraise before attempting more boxes.
Lexi Jones of the Kaua‘i Athletic Club said she wouldn’t miss out on the fun for anything.
“I know I’m going to be there,” Jones said. “We have the Aloha Friday program on Kress Street so it’s just an extension. We’ll move over and work with the lights. I’m doing chalk art, today because I’m not good enough like the other artists.”
Bethany Coma, one of the Mo‘olelo Murals artists, had finished her utility box and returned to the Kress Street staging area.
“I’m going to do something crazy,” she said. “Everyone is so serious. I need to work on something not so serious. Does your cat eat pizza?”
Bulosan is also encouraging local businesses throughout the island, and especially on Rice Street to celebrate the holidays with lights.
