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Twilight Christmas Parade Celebrates the Best of Waimea!
'E Lauhoe Mai Na Wa’a: Everybody Paddle the Canoe Together!'
TRAFFIC & PUBLIC SAFETY ADVISORY: Due to road closure during our parade, no cars will be moving along the parade route from 5:30-6:45PM, however emergency vehicles will be able to respond as needed. The public is urged to plan ahead to avoid delays because there will be no vehicular traffic from west to east or east to west thru Waimea town during the parade.
Also, please keep a close eye on keiki at all times, and while tents are permitted along the parade route, exercise extreme caution - no hibachis or BBQs permitted, carefully extinguish smokables, and be careful when parking hot vehicles on dry grass. Fire extinguishers located at every narrator station.
For 62 years, Waimea residents, schools, faith communities, youth and kupuna clubs, truckers, businesses and friends have joined together to welcome the holidays with a "lighted" Christmas parade, and for the 63rd year, it's now back in full swing - repeating last year's longer, safer 1.7-mile route and adding more narrator stations and porta luas, and two Food Zones - all to celebrate the "E Lauhoe Mai Na Wa'a" theme, reflecting the BEST OF WAIMEA!
Featuring more than 60 lighted entries including many festively “dressed” trucks and other big rigs, units will stage in Waimea Park, and beginning promptly at 5:30PM, turn out onto Lindsey Road to the main intersection, turn left (east) onto Mamalahoa Highway (Hwy 19) to pass thru town center, then right (south) onto Pukalani Road, then right onto Ala ‘Ohia Road, and end at the Kalani Schutte Waimea District Park. Lighted units will remain at the District Park for post-parade viewing.
There will be 18 sponsored narrator stations along the longer parade route and most will have a nearby porta lua for convenience and health-safety. Narrator station sponsors include North Hawai'i Rotary, Ace Hardware, US Army Recruiters, BankOH, Big Island Mechanical, DeLuz Trucking, First Hawaiian Bank, Hawai’i Preparatory Academy, Kamuela Inn, Keck Observatories, Kenworth, Lex Brodie’s, Mo Betta Farms, Parker Ranch, Parker Ranch Center, Parker School, Puna Plantation/KTA Super Stores, Waimea Community Association, West Hawai’i Electronics and Kamehameha Schools.
All narrator stations will be stocked with trash bags and spectators are urged to grab one to collect their trash and take it with them to aloha the 'aina.
Parade entries are still welcome and there is no charge to participate though entries are urged to contribute to Big Island Giving Tree’s annual holiday gifting of makana bags to over 500 kupuna to ensure no one is forgotten during this season of giving and sharing. Suggested donations include gift cards from local retailers for food, medications, personal care and hygiene products and gasoline.
To secure a packet of parade rules and application, go to www.WaimeaTown.org/parade. For questions, contact parade Co-Chair Lani Olsen-Chong (olsenchong@gmail.com) or Kalae Kawamura (k_kawamura92@yahoo.com).
Parade entrants are asked to carefully review parade rules for everyone’s safety, including the requirement that units must be well lighted, and walkers are discouraged because of the length of the route and to prevent slowdowns or gaps. Also, no candy or other goodies may be thrown from units.
Before the parade, the Hawai’i County Band will present a half hour concert at Parker Ranch Center beginning at 4:30 p.m., and then will hop on board a float created for them by the Parker Ranch ‘ohana to lead off the parade - immediately following the Waimea Boy Scouts who will be carrying the American and Hawaiian flags and other colors. Spectators are urged to stand for the passing of the colors.
Also along the route will be nearly a dozen food trucks clustered in two Food Zones - one fronting Pukalani Stables and one in the gravel student drop-off area immediately south of Waimea MIddle School's STEAM Learning Center. Food trucks include Jaw Jacker Grindz, Mao’s Kitchen, Country Grounds Coffee Company and Oyatsu Hawai’i. Food truck vendors must be food safety certified and pre-approved by the parade committee. For more information, email dayna@naupakaevents.com.
Santa Claus has once again confirmed participation in the parade on a magical float created this year by the staff of Canada France Hawai’i Telescope and W.M. Keck Observatory. Immediately after the parade, Santa will go to Parker Ranch Center’s Fireside Food Court to visit with keiki until 9PM.
Also immediately after the parade, Canada France Hawai’i Telescope will again host its annual Star Party at its Waimea headquarters with outdoor and indoor star gazing/viewing (as weather permits), make-and-take crafts, and goodies including hot chocolate.
A large hui of more than 1,000 volunteers stage Waimea's Christmas Parade, working in partnership with the North Hawai’i Rotary, the State Department of Transportation, and the County of Hawai’i including Police, Fire, Public Works and Parks and Recreation.
“We thank our community’s Rotarians and public partners for continuing to make this popular annual event possible,” said Waimea Community Association President James Hustace, Co-Chairs Lani Olsen-Chong and Kalae Kawamura and the parade committee.
Helping make the parade even more fun while keeping everyone safe will be more than 26 narrators at the18 stations along the parade route including Makela Bruno, James Hustace, Ginger Bertelmann, Melissa Samura, Darde Gamayo of KAPA, Leighton Bell, Chris Oliveira, Pomai and Deedee Bertelmann, Penny Vredenburg, Max Aiona, Anita Tatum, Michael Ng, Alaka'i, Holly K and Bruddah Moks - all of KAPA, Minerva Tabucbuc, Caroline Bolser, Edlyn Carvalho, Cherise Mundon, Vaughn Kalawa, Kari and Gary Clark, Agaalofa Tauane, Jerwin Dowler and Richard Kaniho.
For last minute parade updates, check out WCA's Facebook page and website - see links below.
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