Save The Date:
64th Waimea Twilight Christmas Parade!
Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024 @ 6PM
(NOTE TIME CHANGE!)
Please check back about June for more Parade details!
63rd Annual Waimea Twilight Christmas Parade
Saturday, December 2, 2023 - 5:30PM
A Partnership with Waimea Community Association and dozens of community sponsors, friends and volunteers!
2023 Parade Theme:
‘E Lauhoe Mai Na Wa’a’
‘Everyone Paddle the Canoe Together’
Grand Marshal: Pete Hendricks!
Waimea Twilight Christmas Parade News
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Waimea Twilight Christmas Parade News ---
MAHALO TO EVERYONE who helped make our 63rd Waimea Christmas Twilight Parade a Huge - SAFE - Success!
Parade entry information, rules, and application can be found below.
GREAT GRINDS added to the Fun! Waimea’s Christmas Parade committee is happy to confirm the following “local kine” food trucks will be offering their yummy pleasures at one of the two first-ever FOOD ZONES along the now much longer Waimea Christmas Twilight Parade route (see map below):
Zone 1 – Behind (South of) Waimea Elementary & Middle School) in the gravel student drop-off area
Zone 2 – Pukalani Stables Parking Lot
THE BIG ISLAND GIVING TREE BUCKET BRIGADE will fan out along the parade route before the first units pass to give spectators an opportunity to support BIGT’s holiday outreach to community friends in need - from keiki to families to kupuna struggling in these challenging times. Buckets will also be at all of the narrator stations if you want to lend a hand. (The Bucket Brigade will be clearly identified!)
To learn more about The Big Island Giving Tree and perhaps how to adopt a family for the Holidays, go to: www.TheBigIslandGivingTree.com
Waimea Christmas Parade Route
Important Waimea Parade Information:
TRAFFIC ADVISORY:
Please anticipate traffic slow-down/disruption - plan ahead! No cars will be moving along the parade route from 5:30-6:45 p.m. but emergency vehicles will be able to respond as needed. There will be no vehicular traffic from west to east or east to west thru Waimea town during the parade.
Same longer, safer parade route as in 2022 - begins in Waimea Park onto Lindsey Road, left onto Mamalahoa Highway, right onto Pukalani Road, right onto Ala ‘Ohia and concludes at the Kalani Schutte District Park. Floats will park there for the public to view after the parade. Also after the parade, Santa will visit with keiki at Parker Ranch Center’s Fireside Food Court and all are also invited to the Canada-France Hawai’i Telescope annual free Star Party!
SAFETY OF EVERYONE IS OUR #1 PRIORITY:
PLEASE do not throw candy or other items!
PLEASE be attentive and alert to your surroundings including children, other spectators and all entry units.
PLEASE help to keep this an alcohol and drug free event.
PLEASE prevent the spread of Covid-19.
PLEASE be mindful to not accidentally start a wild fire due to a hot catalytic converter striking high grass or tossing away lighted cigarettes.
Need More Information?
Co-Chair Lani Olsen-Chong - olsenchong@gmail.com or 936-0670
Co-Chair Kalae Kawamura - k_kawamura92@yahoo.com or 936-4376
63rd WAIMEA TWILIGHT CHRISTMAS PARADE SAT., DEC. 2, 2023 ACCEPTING ENTRIES, REPEATING LONGER, SAFER ROUTE
WAIMEA, Hawai’i Island - Entries are still being accepted for the 63rd Waimea Christmas Twilight Parade on Sat., Dec. 2, 2023 from 5:30-6:45 p.m. through the heart of this upcountry community. This year’s parade will repeat the much longer, safer route introduced last year for what is the second oldest holiday parade in Hawai’i.
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 5:30 p.m., 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.
TRAFFIC ADVISORY: No cars will be moving along the parade route from 5:30-6:45 p.m. but 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.
Theme for the 2023 parade is “E Lauhoe Mai Na Wa’a: Everybody Paddle the Canoe Together,” and the Grand Marshal will be Pete Hendricks, Waimea’s tireless community leader, historian, educator, retired County Deputy Managing Director, Nature Park volunteer, canoe paddler and sailing instructor.
There is no charge to enter the parade 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.
To secure a packet of parade rules and application, slide up on this page for links. 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.
There will be 18 sponsored narrator stations along the longer parade route and most will have a nearby porta lua for the public’s convenience and health-safety. Sponsors include 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, North Hawaii Rotary, Parker Ranch, Parker Ranch Center, Parker School, Pohakuloa Training Area, Puna Plantation/KTA Super Stores, Waimea Community Association and West Hawai’i Electronics.
Also along the route will be two first-ever FOOD ZONES including Jaw Jacker, Zoid Bergerz, Kapua’s Snack Box, Henry Grace - Ohana Food Trailer, Jodi Sylva - J’s Sugar Shack, Mao’s Kitchen, Oyatsu Hawai’I, Country Grounds, Fat Boy, and Lock Jaw Lemon Peel. Food truck vendors must be food safety certified and pre-approved by the parade committee. For more information, email dayna@naupakaevents.com.
While parade spectators may set up their own tents along the parade route for viewing, no barbeques, hibachis or open fires are permitted and special care must be exercised to avoid accidentally starting a grass fire with any kind of lighted objects including heated cars.
As always, Santa has 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 Firewise Food Court to visit with keiki.
Also immediately after the parade, Canada France Hawai’i Telescope will again host its annual Star Party at its Waimea headquarters with star gazing/viewing (as weather permits) outside and inside, make and take crafts, and goodies including hot chocolate.
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.
Waimea’s Christmas parade is staged by a large hui of more than 1,000 volunteers working in partnership with the North Hawai’i Rotary, the State Department of Transportation, the County of Hawai’i including Police, Fire, Public Works and Parks and Recreation, and dozens of community organizations including schools, faith groups, keiki and kupuna clubs, non-profits, community service agencies and businesses.
Christmas Parade 2022
Christmas Parade 2021
Mahalo to the Waimea community for your support and patience for this year’s Christmas Parade! Special thanks to Aunty Eva Kealamakia - our amazing Grand Marshal - and her entire ‘ohana! (We extend warm Waimea aloha to her family with the recent passing of Aunty Eva. A hui hou, dear friend!)
Christmas Parade 2019
Our beloved First Responders!
2019 Christmas Parade Grand Marshall Leningrad Elarionoff w/ ‘ohana - A community kupuna who “lives” our parade theme: “Our Community…Our Kuleana at Christmas and Always.”
Waimea’s Christmas Parade is noted for it’s lighted truck brigade! MAHALO TRUCKERS!