The annual Festival of Lights celebration is set for Friday. The event is made up of three distinct events: The lighting of the trees fronting the Historic County Building lawn; the Lights on Rice electrical Christmas parade; and the Kaua’i
The annual Festival of Lights celebration is set for Friday.
The event is made up of three distinct events: The lighting of the trees fronting the Historic County Building lawn; the Lights on Rice electrical Christmas parade; and the Kaua’i Museum’s Christmas craft fair.
The Historic County Building draws hundreds of visitors and local residents who view strings of colorful lights, wreaths and garlands inside and out; inside the historic County Building is an amazing display of unique ornaments and moving light displays that were handcrafted by Josie and Joe Chansky of Kapa’a.
The Chanskys decorated their home on Kawaihau Road in Kapa’a for about 20 years, with thousands of people visiting their magical garage and lawn each Christmas season.
The Festival of Lights began six years ago with an aim to preserve the Chanskys’ collection, which included a moving carousel, a Christmas tree made of 7,500 green toothpicks, and a Christmas-themed Ferris wheel.
Parade organizers are being helped by more than 200 volunteers from the community including representatives from the Kaua’i High School Academy of Travel and Tourism program, inmates from the Kaua’i Community Correctional Center, staff from Oceanic Time Warner and Kaua’i Island Utility Cooperative plus many other sources.
The Lights on Rice parade starts at 6:30 p.m. Friday. Paradegoers are advised to find a good viewing spot well in advance of the parade. The parade route stretches from the corner of Rice Street and Kalena Street, and ends at the Historic County Building. The highlight of the parade is the lit-up, holiday-decorated floats that make their way up Rice Street with singers and other entertainers on some of the floats. The flashing Christmas lights and Christmas songs add to the holiday atmosphere of the evening.
The craft fair at Kaua’i Museum is set for Friday, Dec. 5 and Saturday, Dec. 6. The fair features about 60 craft booths from around the state. A wreath-making contest is the highlight of the museum’s weekend affair, and an award ceremony for the coveted top prizes is to be held at 11 a.m. on Dec. 6., with a silent auction for the wreaths following at noon.
A variety of foods are sold behind the Kaua’i Museum from local lunchwagons and other vendors.
