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2023 Honolulu City Lights opening night set for Saturday, December 2nd

HONOLULU – The City and County of Honolulu and 
Friends of Honolulu City Lights are reminding residents across Oʻahu that the opening night festivities for the 2023 Honolulu City Lights – including the tree lighting ceremony, Public Workers’ Electric Light Parade and City Lights block party – are scheduled for Saturday, December 2, 2023.



The month-long celebration of the Honolulu City Lights kicks-off with a block party at 4 p.m. on Punchbowl Street and across the Frank F. Fasi Civic Grounds. At 6:30 p.m., as the Electric Light Parade passes Honolulu Hale, Mayor Rick Blangiardi will illuminate Honolulu Hale’s holiday tree and the lights and displays decorating the grounds.

The Public Workers’ Electric Light Parade will be held on S. King Street and will proceed past Honolulu Hale to the end at Kawaiahaʻo Street. Decorated vehicles will park at the end of the parade for public viewing until 8:15 p.m.

Due to the parade, there will be traffic detours, street closures, and parking restrictions throughout Chinatown and Downtown Honolulu starting at 1 p.m. King Street will reopen progressively after the parade, except for the section of King Street from Punchbowl to the Alapaʻi/South/King Street intersection, which will remain closed until 10 p.m. for street sweeping and crowd control barrier removal.

TheBus routes affected by the parade will be detoured.  Please go to 
www.thebus.org or call (808) 848-5555 for route information.

For parade information including the full list of street closures, visit 
https://www.honolulu.gov/cms-dts-menu/site-dts-sitearticles/1603-site-dts-usage-cat/site-dts-usage-2023-cat/50939-dec.html or call the Department of Transportation Services at
(808)-768-8369.

Opening Night Festivities – Saturday, December 2, 2023
•City Lights Block Party – Punchbowl Street and across the Frank F. Fasi Civic Grounds – 4 p.m.-10 p.m.
•Tree Lighting Ceremony at Honolulu Hale – begins at 6 p.m. 
•Public Workers’ Electric Light Parade (from A‘ala Park to Honolulu Hale) – begins at 6 p.m.
•City and County of Honolulu Employee Christmas Tree Exhibition in the Honolulu Hale Courtyard – 7 p.m.-10 p.m.
•Wreath Contest Exhibition in Lane Gallery inside Honolulu Hale – 7 p.m.-10 p.m.
•Skygate Concert on the Frank F. Fasi Civic Center Grounds - 7 pm - 10 pm.
•Photo with Santa (located inside Mission Memorial Auditorium) – 7:30 p.m. -10 p.m.

All holiday festivities will take place on the Frank F. Fasi Civic Grounds at Honolulu Hale – located at 530 South King Street, Honolulu, Hawaiʻi 96813. For more information on ongoing activities throughout the month of December, visit 
http://hnlcitylights.org/

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Kapolei City Lights to Kapolei Hale 2023
Plan your “Westside Wonderland” experience with details for enjoying Kapolei City Lights!
O‘AHU – The tree has been placed, the decorations await illumination, time to get ready for the Kapolei City Lights Celebration!
The Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation invites everyone to enjoy a month of holiday cheer at Kapolei Hale, beginning with the Opening Night Block Party & Holiday Parade on Saturday, Dec. 9. Details on how you and the entire ‘ohana can enjoy this “Westside Wonderland”, with all of the free, open-to-the-public festivities, are available online at 
bit.ly/kapoleicitylights      
 
Opening Night Block Party
Kapolei City Lights officially begins with the Opening Night Block Party showcasing plenty of live music, over two dozen food trucks, and loads of local vendors from 5 p.m.  to 9 p.m. near Kapolei Hale. We’ve got so much planned for this party we are taking over several streets for the event, including: Ulu‘ōhi‘a, Ala Kahawai, ‘Alohikea, and Kama‘aha Ave.
Enjoy an amazing lineup of local entertainment and events on the stage near the intersection of Ala Kahawai and ‘Alohikea streets.  Emceed by Councilmember Augie Tulba and Comedian Rodney Villanueva, this venue will offer the following scheduled performances:
5 p.m. = Kaulana Vinoya Duo
6:30 p.m. = Nesian 9 (restart at 7:15 p.m.)
7 p.m. = Mayor’s Tree Lighting Ceremony
8 p.m. = AJ Keolanui Band
 
Holiday Parade
Along with the block party, opening night festivities will feature the luminous Holiday Parade, with dozens of decked-out vehicles, floats, and VIPs displaying their holiday spirit beginning at 6 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 9. The parade route starts outside Kapolei High School on Fort Barrette Rd., takes a left on Kapolei Pkwy., and ends at Kealakapu St.
If you miss the parade, a selection of some of the parade vehicles and floats will be available for public viewing on ‘Alohikea St. (between Ala Kahawai and Kama‘aha) following the parade through the end of the block party.
 
Kapolei Hale Decoration
Can’t make it to the Opening Night Block Party and Holiday Parade? No worries! The decorations in and around Kapolei Hale will be open for public viewing from Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023 through Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024 under the following schedule:
Monday – Thursday = 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Friday - Sunday & Holidays = 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
During that time Kapolei Hale will be transformed into a “Westside Wonderland” featuring decorations inspired by historic, cultural, and recreational aspects of our Leeward communities. From Waipahū to Kaʻena Point, Westside pride will be on full display inside the hale with themed decorations and holiday trees decorated by a variety of City departments and community organizations, including the Wai‘anae Neighborhood Board and Kanehili Community Association.
Outside the hale, the centerpiece of the decorations will be the holiday tree on the mauka corner of the building. Harvested from Maka‘unulau Community Park in Mililani, the Cooke pine tree measures 45’ from the ground and is covered with countless lights and decorations. Additional sculptures and festive décor will surround the tree.
 
Parking Restrictions & Road Closures
To ensure the safety of everyone enjoying the Opening Night Block Party & Holiday Parade, a variety of road closures and vehicular parking restrictions will be in place before and immediately after the events on Saturday, Dec. 9. These include (but are not limited to):
            
Parking Prohibitions:
Ulu‘ōhi‘a St. from Haumea to Kama‘aha (5 a.m. to 11 p.m.)
Eastside of Fort Barrette Rd. from Kapolei Pkwy. to Roosevelt Ave. (5 a.m. to 11 p.m.)
Ala Kahawai St. from Ulu‘ōhi‘a to ‘Alohikea (5 a.m. to 11 p.m.)
‘Alohikea St. from Kamokila Blvd. to Kapolei Pkwy. (1 p.m. to 11 p.m.)
            Road Closures:
Fort Barrette Rd from Kama‘aha Ave. to Roosevelt Ave.
Kapolei Parkway from Kamokila Boulevard to Kunehi St.
Two-way traffic from Kunehi to Fort Barrette Rd. on mauka half of roadway
All of the streets in the immediate area around the block party including sections of: Ulu‘ōhi‘a, Ala Kahawai, ‘Alohikea, and Kama‘aha Ave.

Since the inaugural celebration in 2001, Kapolei City Lights continues to spread holiday cheer to the ever-growing Leeward O‘ahu community as a complement to Honolulu City Lights. This time-honored tradition intends to build a sense of community and connection by designing and providing positive holiday experiences for all to enjoy. For the best information and updates about Kapolei City Lights, and its supporting events, visit: 
bit.ly/kapoleicitylights     
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