KAILUA-KONA — It’s that time of year again.
KAILUA-KONA — It’s that time of year again.
The sounds and songs of Christmas will ring along Alii Drive Saturday during the 31st annual Kailua-Kona Kona Christmas Parade that will feature around 80 floats and 2,100 participants.
“It’s been a good community event,” said parade chairman Chris Kopp of the procession that will include horses, miniature horses, dogs, donkeys and sheep.
It starts at Kekuaokalani Gymnasium, runs south down Kuakini Highway, turns right onto Alii Drive and ends near the intersection with Walua Road. It’s scheduled to run from 5 to 7 p.m. Road closures on the course will be from 4:45 to 7:30 p.m.
It’s themed “Na Mele O Kalikimaka,” or “The Songs of Christmas.”
The grand marshal this year will be Kalepa Baybayan, captain and navigator of the Hawaiian deep sea canoes Hokulea, Hawaiiloa, and Hokualakai. He has been involved in traditional Hawaiian navigation since 1975.
The program also supports the Menehune Holiday Food Drive, which is in its fourth year.
Donations can be made in Waimea at the Foodland and KTA; the Waikoloa Village Marketplace; the Kona KTA, Sack and Save and Safeway; Keauhou’s KTA and Captain Cook’s ChoiceMart.
Donations can also be made at the parade itself.
Kopp has chaired 23 of these events and has developed a metaphor for the committee’s efforts.
“We’re the pie crust,” he said, “and the contributors provide the filling and the community enjoys the pie.”
It’s called a Rotarian Parade, Kopp said, as the organization provides many of the volunteers needed for the event. About 90 Rotarians form the core of the volunteer force needed to put it on.
They estimate about 16,000 people come out to see the event.