For many in East Hawaii, the true start of the Christmas season comes Saturday evening with the 2024 Downtown Hilo Christmas Lights Parade.
The streets come alive with twinkling lights and the community has a chance to recover from Thanksgiving overindulgence and the bumps and bruises of Black Friday’s competitive shopping.
This year’s theme is “Christmas Around the World, May it be Merry and Light.”
The parade, which starts at 6 p.m., will be the 37th edition, as the event went on hiatus during the novel coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and 2021.
For the third year, the parade’s organizers are the East Hawaii Lions Clubs — which includes the Akaka Falls Lions, Hilo Crescent City Lions and Leos, Hilo Lions, Hilo Hawaii Lions Unlimited and Waiakea Lions and Leos.
“The committee started meeting in March,” said Nate Tajon, president of the Hilo Crescent City Lions Club. “The planning got more intense around June or July, then we went all gung-ho all the permits came in around October. It’s a lot of work from a lot of people and a lot of support from our sponsors.
“We are excited to bring joy and holiday cheer to our Hilo community.”
Major sponsors are Ken’s House of Pancakes, Young Brothers and MPI Security.
“We are grateful to the businesses and individuals that donated to the parade; every donation, big or small is appreciated,” Tajon said. “Every dollar donated will fund this year’s parade and the 2025 Downtown Hilo Christmas Lights Parade.”
The parade will feature marching bands, dignitaries and pageant queens in convertibles, floats and vehicles decorated in holiday regalia, trucks from the Hawaii Fire Department and the Army’s Pohakuloa Training Area Fire Department and Hawaiian Electric Company’s Big Ben Toys for Tots train — 69 units in all, including one very special equestrian unit.
“It’s going to be Santa on horseback, a paniolo kind of Santa,” said Tajon. “Santa used to be on the fire truck before, but we felt that this was more personal.”
In addition to HECO’s train, other new entrants this year include: Suisan; Pacific Gymnastics Flippers; Sunbelt Rentals and SR Service Rentals.
The community rejoiced in the parade’s return the past two years with thousands lining Downtown Hilo’s streets, including keiki hoping to catch a special treat or two dispensed by parade participants.
“We have one float, the East Hawaii Lions Leo Clubs, that will be throwing out candies for the keiki,” said Tajon. “If any of the other floats wish to do so, we would welcome that, but we want to make sure that the candies are sealed.”
There will also be awards for creative parade entries.
“We’ve come up with some fun categories so the parade viewers can vote for more of their favorite parade entries,” Tajon said.
The new categories are: Kaiaulu Award: the “People’s Choice” award; Menehune Magic Award: the best entry featuring children; Holiday Mele Award: the entry with the best musical performance; Festive Trooper Award: the best marching or walking entry; Shakakalikimaka Award: the entry with the most “spirited” participants; Winter Buggy Award: the best display on wheels; and Fruitcake Award: the entry with the most uniquely humorous display.
The show must go on, which means the parade will occur, rain or shine, except in the unlikely event of a thunderstorm.
Kamehameha Avenue from Pauahi Street to the old Iron Works building will be closed at 4:30 p.m. to allow parade participants to assemble and line up safely on Piopio Street.
The parade will start from Piopio Street, then turn left on Pauahi Street, then right on Kilauea Avenue and continuing onto Keawe Street, then right on Waianuenue Avenue and making its final right turn onto Kamehameha Avenue. The procession will conclude at Bishop Street by the statue of Kamehameha the Great.
The parade route will be closed from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., or sooner if the parade ends earlier.
It promises to be a festive evening of lights, music
and the community’s aloha spirit.
Waxing nostalgic, Tajon said that East Hawaii’s Lions are proud to kick off yuletide in one of the world’s most beautiful locales.
“There’s always been a parade, as long as I can recall, and I remember watching when I was a young kid,” he said. “It’s one of Downtown Hilo’s most iconic and proud traditions.”
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
