Two Parades, One Marina: Hawaiʻi Kai's Holiday Season on Land and Water

Hawaiʻi Kai has two holiday parades, one that marches and one that floats, and both end up at the marina. This year they fall on Saturdays three weeks apart. The Hawaii Kai Lions Club parade comes down Lunalilo Home Road on November 28. The Hawaii Kai Marina Community Association's Christmas Boat Parade lights up the water on December 19.

The second date has moved. The boat parade ran on December 14 in 2024 and December 13 in 2025. This year it is a week later, on the same Saturday as Koko Marina Center's monthly craft fair. That makes December 19 the fullest day on the Hawaiʻi Kai holiday calendar, with the craft fair opening at 10 a.m. and the boats on the water later that day.

November 28: The Parade That Walks to the Water

The season opens on land. The Hawaii Kai Holiday Parade is coordinated by the Hawaii Kai Lions Club and sponsored by Koko Marina Center. It steps off at 10 a.m. on Saturday, November 28, from the corner of Lunalilo Home Road and Hawaii Kai Drive by the HK Skate Park. From there it heads down Lunalilo Home Road and finishes at Koko Marina Center around 11 a.m.

The route runs straight downhill toward the shoreline, so the morning ends at the marina. Koko Marina Center's Christmas Carnival starts in the Marina Courtyard as the parade wraps up and runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The center lists:

• Photos with Santa Claus
• Christmas crafts and giveaways
• Balloon art and carnival games
• Cookie decorating with New Hope Church
• Free game tickets for anyone who donates a new, unwrapped toy

That's three hours in all, from the 10 a.m. step-off to the end of the carnival. Koko Marina Center sits at 7192 Kalanianaole Highway, so a walk from the finish line to lunch is a short one.

The Saturdays in Between

Koko Marina Center keeps its regular monthly Saturday events going through the three weeks between the two parades. By publish day the November 7 night market and blood drive have come and gone. These dates remain:

The craft fair is set for the third Saturday of each month, and the night market for the first, so the regular calendar handles most of the holiday shopping. The 808 Craft & Gift Fairs on November 21 comes a week before the land parade. The December fair falls on the third Saturday, December 19, which is also the boat parade date.

For anyone planning a December 5 donation, the Blood Bank of Hawaii parks its Bloodmobile at the Koko Marina Walgreens lot by appointment only. Book ahead instead of walking up.

December 19: A Week Later Than Last Year

The Christmas Boat Parade, also called the Festival of Lights, has a long history on this marina. Hawaii News Now covered the 10th annual parade in 2006. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser listed the 16th in 2012, KHON2 reported on the 19th in 2015, and the Star-Advertiser previewed the 22nd in 2018.

The format has stayed about the same over those years. KHON2's 2015 coverage described boats passing Hawaii Kai Towne Center to be judged, then cruising the marina past waterfront homes. The Towne Center's marina docks are the public place to watch. Its 2024 listing sent spectators there for a 6 to 8 p.m. window.

The Towne Center's general manager at the time described the evening to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser in 2018:

"You see families in their decorated boats, sharing holiday cheer. They really get into it. The lights reflect on the water, making this one of the most unique holiday traditions on Oahu."

In past years the parade has started around sunset. For 2012, the Star-Advertiser listing gave a 6 to 8 p.m. window, and Hawaii News Now's schedule had the boats starting at 6:10 p.m. In 2018, the paper reported live music at the docks from 3 p.m., with boats setting out at sunset. The Towne Center's 2025 event ran from 4 to 7 p.m. and included a prize wheel with gift cards from shops and restaurants at the center. For 2026, the date comes from the Hawaii Kai Marina Community Association, the parade's sponsor, which posts its save-the-date and past winners on its site.

One way to spend the day

Moving to December 19 puts the craft fair and the boat parade on the same Saturday at the two marina-front centers. One way to spend it:

1. Mid-morning at Koko Marina Center. The 808 Craft & Gift Fairs runs 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., six days before Christmas, with more than 70 vendors.
2. Afternoon break. If the parade follows past years, there's time to go home, drop off packages, and come back out.
3. Late afternoon at Hawaii Kai Towne Center. The center has invited parade-goers to eat and shop before and after the boats, and in 2018 its manager told the Star-Advertiser that families could eat at the center before walking to the docks.
4. Parade time at the marina docks. In past years the boats have come by here to be judged, starting around sunset.

When Holiday Guests Ask About the Bay

The weeks between the two parades are also when out-of-town family tends to visit, and Hanauma Bay is the first thing many guests ask about. The City and County of Honolulu's Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve page lists public entry Wednesday through Sunday, 6:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The beach is cleared at 3:30 p.m., and everyone is out by 4 p.m. The City notes the schedule can change.

For hosts, the important difference is who needs a reservation. Hawaiʻi residents with a valid Hawaiʻi photo ID get in free without one during public hours. Nonresident guests need a reservation or a walk-in ticket to reach the lower beach. With the bay closed Mondays and Tuesdays, a guest who flies in for the November 28 parade weekend has Wednesday through Sunday to go. The early morning entry also leaves plenty of room before the boat parade on December 19.

Guests who would rather climb can head to the Koko Crater Tramway, just up Kalanianaole Highway. The City reopened the tramway and summit on July 10, 2025, after a temporary closure. Hikers are asked to stay on the tramway and follow warning signs and caution tape. Doing the climb on the morning of the land parade would get everyone back down in time for the 10 a.m. start on Lunalilo Home Road.

Our team at Discover Hawaii Properties loves seeing Hawaiʻi Kai come together on the marina each December. If you have questions about life near the water here, whether that's a home within walking distance of Koko Marina Center or a place along the parade route, we're happy to talk it through over a calm conversation. Contact Us whenever you're ready.