By Tim Bryan, David Corrigan and Stephanie Salazar

[Video by Tim Bryan]

WAIMEA, Hawaii: One of the biggest holiday parades on Hawaii Island was held this Saturday, on a wet and chilly night in Waimea.

Part of the town’s All-Day Lokahi Giving Tree Celebration, the 51st Annual Waimea Christmas Twilight Parade was themed “Embracing our Children”… and as it always does, the procession of big rigs, floats, and locomotives – all adorned with Christmas lights – thrilled the crowd that lined the Mamalahoa Highway.

The parade began at 5:30 p.m. this year- a half-hour earlier than previous years – and closed the highway from the historic Church Row Park to the Lindsey Road intersection. The route then turning right onto Lindsey Road past Parker School to Waimea Park.

Many of the favorite parade participants were in cue, like HELCO’s Toys For Tots Train, and North Hawaii Community Hospital’s Santa Float.

Food concessions provided warm treats for the onlookers. Each of the concessions contributed a share of their proceeds with the Lokahi Giving Tree project.

Also new this year – every parade unit was asked to make a donation at the start of the parade – and also, just before the first units began marching through town, a Lokahi Bucket Brigade of volunteers walked the parade route – to make it easy for all to make a small donation.