Harvey Maeda and the Kaua‘i Classic Cars will be fully decorated on Friday when The Rotary Club of Kaua‘i presents the Lights On Rice holiday parade along Rice Street.
The Friday parade marks the return to an in-person format following three years absence due to the COVID-19 shutdowns, safety and health considerations. The state Department of Health is still suggesting social distancing and face mask wearing in crowded situations.
“This is only about half decorated,” Maeda said of his classic hot rod that led a fleet of classic cars, some decorated and others not, to enhance the Kukui Grove Center Seventh annual Holiday Lights experience, on Saturday night.
Josh Pajela of Kukui Grove said the next Holiday Lights show will be Friday, following the Lights On Rice parade, starting at 8 p.m.
The Lights On Rice holiday parade, according to lightsonrice.org, will take place from the Vidinha Stadium parking lot staging area, up Rice Street from Ho‘olako Road to the Historic County Building.
Although no formal notice has been received, motorists are advised that Rice Street from the intersection of Veterans Memorial Highway to the Haleko Road intersection will be closed to traffic with Kaua‘i Police Department officers monitoring. All side streets leading to Ho‘olako Road and Rice Street in the affected section of Rice Street will also be closed until the parade is over.
Requests from The Garden Island for more information from The Rotary Club of Kaua‘i have not been answered.
The parade is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. and be over by 8 p.m., as confirmed by an entry on the Kaua‘i Festivals website.
The Festival of Lights lighting the lawn of the Historic County Building, and the outer lobby of the building already switched on during Thanksgiving Day night, will not impact the parade with “lighting ceremonies,” although Elizabeth Freeman has arranged to have Santa and Mrs. Claus appear at the Festival of Lights on Friday night.
This year’s parade has swollen to include about 60 units with approximately 3,000 performers, the Lights On Rice website said. Spectators should place themselves along the Rice Street route early to enjoy the light and music extravaganza.
The return of the Lights On Rice holiday parade is made possible through the sponsorships of Corteva Agriscience, Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative, Wilcox Health, Pacific Mirror and Glass and the East Kaua‘i Lions Club.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 808-245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
