KAILUA-KONA — An eclectic group of locals, visitors and first-time parade goers lined Kuakini Highway and Alii Drive Tuesday evening along the route of the 22nd annual Kailua-Kona Independence Day Parade to celebrate the Fourth of July in America’s 50th state.
For some, the festivities are a summer staple. For others, the parade served up what might be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Hawaii Island resident Joe Sarabai, 22, has been bringing his young family to the parade for the last four years. His girlfriend, Tatum Parish, and their two children camped out on a packed sidewalk near King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel, where patriotic music blared over loudspeakers before the procession began.
“I guess you could say it’s a family tradition,” he said. “It’s something to do for the day and brings everyone together. And they do a pretty good job on these floats.”
Sarabai summed up succinctly the value of the parade from his perspective.
“It’s watching the kids have fun. And this!” he said, as a marcher stopped to offer children free handfuls of sweets. “You can’t beat the free candy.”
Sydney Morrison, 15, and Megan Schmidt, who is celebrating her 17th birthday on the Big Island today, were perched on Alii Drive’s seawall for their first experience at a Fourth of July parade.
The two young women from Yorkton, Saskatchewan — a Canadian town with a population of around 20,000 — are part of Girl Guides of Canada. The organization is the Canadian equivalent of America’s Girl Scouts. The sizable contingent of Girl Guides in Kona Tuesday raised and saved money for more than two years to afford the trip to Hawaii.
Schmidt said the best part of the vacation so far was swimming with a pod of what she guessed was 60 dolphins off the West Hawaii coast. But she was also geared up for her first, and maybe only, Independence Day in the United States.
“I’ve always heard the celebrations for Independence Day in the U.S. are crazy big,” she said. “Everybody gets so excited and I’ve just always wanted to experience it. It’s something I might not get to experience again.”
Morrison said the group would stick around for the fireworks after the procession concluded.
She said what struck her was “Just how big and proud everyone is. It’s exciting to see so many people so amped up for something.”
This year’s parade inspired some excitement even before it officially began, as a LavaKids fun run started a little before 6 p.m. and served as the kickoff to the celebration.
Ellie Platter, 7, pulled double-duty Tuesday, running in the race before joining a group marching in the parade. Her brother Ethan, 5, was running for the first time and said he was excited to “get a trophy at the end.”
Ciaran Hansen, 7, is a multi-year veteran of the run and was in it to win it as the sun began to set on Kuakini Highway. He also came equipped with fireworks for his own celebration after the race ended.
“I like racing and stuff,” he said. “I’m going to stop at the end of the race, watch, and have fun with fireworks tonight.”
When asked what he hoped to get out of the race this evening, Ciaran’s response was pensive and considered, even if noncommittal.
“I don’t really know how to answer that,” he said.
Ciaran’s 5-year-old sister, Zoë, was also excited for the run despite being a less traditional participant.
“I’m not going to be running because I got an owie on my foot and I can’t run,” she said.
Instead, Zoë functioned in a supervisory role, monitoring the race from the back of the truck on a Tuesday night full of flags, fireworks and fun-sized candy bars.