Coordinators of the annual Christmas twilight parade Saturday, Nov. 30, in downtown Hilo encourage folks to sign up to participate.
Coordinators of the annual Christmas twilight parade Saturday, Nov. 30, in downtown Hilo encourage folks to sign up to participate.
Marcie Kawamura of the sponsoring Lehua Jaycees noted the route was shortened this year.
“We’d like to see boys and girls, men and women of all ages represent their clubs, schools, churches or other entities in this favorite Hilo tradition,” Kawamura said.
For almost three decades, the Lehua Jaycees have hosted the popular event on the Saturday following Thanksgiving.
The theme of this year’s big event will be “Ke Kalikimaka No Na Keiki,” or “Christmas for the Children.”
It’s a sports-oriented lineup filling the position of “grand marshal” this year. The honor will be shared among the boys ages 13-14 PONY Hilo All-Stars Baseball Team, which represented the State of Hawaii at the PONY World Series, and Nobu Yamauchi of the Hawaii RBI Softball Team, which represented the state at the 2013 RBI Softball World Series for girls ages 14-19.
The event will start at 5:30 p.m., and entries are now being taken in four categories: marching unit, marching band, small float (15 feet or less) and large float.
The fun activity always draws crowds of onlookers all along the parade route through downtown Hilo. There’s lots of candy tossing, ho-ho-ho-ing, colorful lights and tinsel. Santa comes to town on the top of a fire engine and folks of all ages and sizes march and ride and get the town into the holiday spirit.
If you are interested in participating, please contact Allyson Cortez at 960-6091, Kawamura at 936-5149 or email the sponsoring organization at lehua_jaycees@yahoo.com. Folks wanting to help the Jaycees with donations to help pay for parade expenses can contact Cortez or Kawamura.
To qualify to compete for prizes, entries must be postmarked by Tuesday, Nov. 26. There will be three places in each of the categories, with $200 for first place, $125 for second and $75 for third-place winners.
This is how the shortened route will vary this year: The parade will start on Piopio Street, turn left on Pauahi Street, then right on Kilauea Avenue, then right on Ponahawai, right on Kamehameha Avenue, right on Pauahi and end on Bishop Street near the Kamehameha statue.