KOLOA — The historic Koloa Plantation Days Parade on Saturday morning, and its accompanying park celebration, will mean traffic advisories will take place from 9 a.m. until at least 1 p.m.
Motorists and visitors needing to pass these areas should make accommodations for delays and plan for alternative routes around the closed areas. According to the county, police officers will be manning all closed roads.
The parade is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. from the Koloa School and Koloa Public/School Library and proceed north on Po‘ipu Road, turning onto Koloa Road, and then onto Maluhia Road to end at Anne S. Knudsen Park, commonly known as Koloa ball park.
The parade will force road closures that will be enforced from 9 a.m. to at least 1 p.m. on Maluhia Road fronting the park.
Other closures are:
• Po‘ipu and Lawa‘i roads from the roundabout at the Koloa fire station;
• Po‘ipu and Waikomo roads near Koloa Church and Koloa School;
• Po‘ipu and Koloa road at the Chevron gas station intersection;
• Weliweli and Waikomo road;
• Maluhia Road at Ala Kinoiki, the Koloa bypass road;
• Koloa Road at the Island Soap & Candle Shop.
Roads providing access to and from Po‘ipu include the Ala Kalanikaumaka, of west bypass road, via Koloa Road for westbound traffic, and Ala Kinoiki for eastbound traffic.
Public parking for the parade and accompanying park celebration will be available in the pasture lots located to the north of Anne S. Knudsen Park and north of the intersection of Maluhia Road and Ala Kinoiki.
A crossing guard placed on Ala Kinoiki will help pedestrians cross the bypass road to the lower pasture parking area that leads to Anne S. Knudsen Park. Additionally, the park celebration gates will open at 9 a.m., when the traffic advisories take effect.
Those with special needs require a placard for identification, available at Anne S. Knudsen Park’s south entrance and the asphalt parking lot just north of the park.
On Sunday, Ho‘owili Road will be closed from 6 to 9 a.m. for the Kuku‘iula Outrigger Canoe Club fun run that is a part of the Koloa Plantation Days 10-day celebration.
During this time, Po‘ipu Beach Park can be accessed through Ho‘one Road by way of Pe‘e Road and Po‘ipu Road.
The Koloa Plantation Days, including its historic parade and park celebration, is possible through the support provided by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority through the Community Enrichment Program and numerous other community sponsors, including the County of Kaua‘i and Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 808-245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
