Ala Moana Beach Park to open overnight for Fourth of July

The City and County of Honolulu will keep Ala Moana Beach Park open overnight for Fourth of July celebrations.

Mayor Kirk Caldwell made the announcement at the beach park Saturday morning, while standing before a crowd lounging on the sand.

“I hope people come in here and enjoy a most unique way to celebrate the Fourth, of anywhere in our country,” Caldwell said.

Some 50,000 spectators are expected to watch the Fireworks Spectacular at Ala Moana Beach Park on the nation’s 242nd birthday. The fireworks show is rated one of the top 25 in the country, according to the Ala Moana Shopping Center, and a live soundtrack to accompany the show will be broadcast on KSSK 92.3 FM.

The show starts at 8:30 p.m. on the Fourth of July, and while city officials did not mention a limit to the number of campers allowed at the park for the holiday, they did note that those who planned to stay overnight had to be there by 10 p.m. Tuesday.

The park is usually closed from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.

Ewa Beach resident J.J. Ragudos, who was celebrating a family birthday Saturday at Ala Moana, said he prefers Ala Moana to Ko Olina, which is closer to his home, because it’s bigger and he can grill and place a canopy on the beach.

He planned to camp overnight for the Fourth of July and wanted to save a spot for family and friends on the grass at Magic Island, about a hundred yards from the restricted area where the fireworks are to be set off.

It had been years since he camped for the Fourth of July show, he said, but this year his children are old enough to appreciate it.

“The show at the end, it’s worth it,” he said.

CAMPING RULES

The usual rules are in place this year: only two people may stay overnight per site, no camping tents, no alcohol, no smoking, no drones, no animals other than service animals and no littering.

Caldwell asked that spectators bring garbage bags. Should park trash bins be full, he asked them to take their garbage home and dispose of it properly rather than let it blow into the ocean.

Jeanne Ishikawa, deputy director of the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation, said campers with canopies should use spikes shorter than 8 inches; longer spikes could damage recently installed irrigation lines buried in the park.

Honolulu Police Sgt. Matthew Kurihara said any drones caught flying over the park may be reported to the Federal Aviation Administration, which prohibits the operation of drones at night and over crowds. He said police would also try to find the operator and explain the safety concerns.

In addition to the police, the Parks Department’s black-shirted park rangers will be on scene, adding another point of contact for beachgoers when someone is breaking the rules, trash cans are overflowing, or a restroom needs to be cleaned.

TRAFFIC DELAYS

Ala Moana Boulevard and Kona Street will close at 8 p.m. for the fireworks show. All exits along Ala Moana Boulevard will be closed and those leaving the Ala Moana Shopping Center should exit through the mauka side onto Kapiolani Boulevard.

About 100 Honolulu Police Department officers will be in Ala Moana Beach Park to help with traffic at the conclusion of the fireworks show, Kurihara said.

“Be patient, particularly at the end of the fireworks show,” he said. “We’re looking at tens of thousands of people trying to leave this area all at once.”

PARKING

The Ala Moana Building, which houses the Bank of Hawaii, and the Ala Moana Pacific Center, which houses Shokudo Japanese Restaurant & Bar, will offer free parking after 1 p.m. on the Fourth of July. Parking at Ala Moana Beach Park is free.