Holidays arrive: Christmas tree lit in Kailua Village

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The Christmas tree is lit Wednesday evening at Emma Square in Kailua Village. (Laura Ruminski/West Hawaii Today)
Halau E Hulali Mai I Ka La performs at the Kailua Village Christmas Tree Lighting Wednesday evening at Emma Square. (Laura Ruminski/West Hawaii Today)
Halau E Hulali Mai I Ka La performs at the Kailua Village Christmas Tree Lighting Wednesday evening at Emma Square. (Laura Ruminski/West Hawaii Today)
Halau E Hulali Mai I Ka La performa at the Kailua Village Christmas Tree Lighting Wednesday evening at Emma Square. (Laura Ruminski/West Hawaii Today)
Halau E Hulali Mai I Ka La performa at the Kailua Village Christmas Tree Lighting Wednesday evening at Emma Square. (Laura Ruminski/West Hawaii Today)
Miss Kona Coffee Kyndra Nakamoto dances hula at the Kailua Village Christmas Tree Lighting Wednesday at Emma Square. (Laura Ruminski/West Hawaii Today)
Young Miss Kona Coffee Diamond Kawaauhau dances hula at the Kailua Village Christmas Tree Lighting Wednesday at Emma Square. (Laura Ruminski/West Hawaii Today)
Young Miss Kona Coffee Diamond Kawaauhau hands out candy to keiki at the Kailua Village Christmas Tree Lighting Wednesday at Emma Square. (Laura Ruminski/West Hawaii Today)
Mini Miss Kona Coffee Zendra-Ivory Paogofie dances hula at the Kailua Village Tree Lighting Wednesday at Emma Square. (Laura Ruminski/West Hawaii Today)
Little Miss Kona Coffee Zeilah-Teal Paogofie dances hula at the Kailua Village Christmas Tree Lighting Wednesday at Emma Square. (Laura Ruminski/West Hawaii Today)
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The holidays have arrived in Kailua Village.

Dozens turned out for the annual Christmas Tree Lighting Wednesday at Emma Square enjoying hula performances by Halau E Hulali Mai I Ka La under the direction of Kumu Chrissy Henriques.

Kailua-Kona hosts its Chirstmas parade, Holoholo Kalikimaka from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Dec. 11 at the Kekuaokalani Gymnasium and the Kona Community Aquatic Center. The walk-through parade will begin at the north gate of the complex, with spectators strolling through stationary entries ending on the south side culminating with Santa and his reindeer.

The parade committee is still accepting entrants, especially ones decorated with lots of lights. Call Renee Kraft at (808) 345-2108 or Barbara Kossow at (808) 938-0806 for more information or to enter.

Kokua Kailua, the popular monthly stroll on Alii Drive, returns to Historic Kailua Village from 1 to 6 p.m. Dec. 12. Alii Drive will be closed to vehicular traffic and becomes a festive, pedestrian-only outdoor marketplace that makes for a fun family friendly day. A Hawaiian Holiday Concert with Mark Yamanaka will take place from 5 to 6 p.m.

See Page 6A for more photos.