Honolulu City Lights tree kicks off the holiday season

The Norfolk pine — the centerpiece of the annual Honolulu City Lights celebration — is now up in front of City Hall.

City crews Thursday morning hoisted and balanced the 80-foot Norfolk pine donated by Olomana School into place on the front lawn of Honolulu Hale on South King Street. On display the tree is trimmed down before being placed in the ground, and always stands 50 feet tall.

“Our official holiday tree is now in place,” said Sheri Kajiwara, director of the city’s Department of Customer Services, “which means this kicks off our holiday season.”

The tree is traditionally installed the week before Thanksgiving, she said, and lights and decorations will go up in the next two weeks.

The 34th annual Honolulu City Lights opening festivities take place the evening of Dec. 1 with a tree lighting ceremony led by Mayor Kirk Caldwell at Honolulu Hale, electric light parade and holiday concert.

“Thirty-four years we’ve been doing this holiday tree and Honolulu City Lights, where hundreds of thousands of people come to look at the lights in this area,” said Caldwell. “People may not be able to afford their own tree or celebrate Christmas in a big way. They come here as one ohana, celebrating together, a million people on a small island. I see the joy in people’s eyes every night when I go home during this season. And it is about joy, it’s about coming together, it’s about love, starting with Thanksgiving and going all the way into the new year.”

This year’s theme will be the same as last year’s, featuring the Honolulu Zoo, with handmade ornaments of animals, including elephants, tigers, and primates, mixed with stars, according to Owen Ho, Honolulu City Lights designer.

“They’re all handmade in Hawaii and designed in Hawaii, and the smallest ornament is 18 inches, and goes up to 54 inches for the bottom layer,” said Ho.

Shaka Santa and Tutu Mele will also be back, greeting visitors from their usual perch, along with their ocean animal friends.

Some new features inside of Honolulu Hale this year include chandeliers adorned with several hundred candies, including bonbons and Tootsie Rolls, according to Ho. This year a 14-foot-wide rainbow will also arch over Santa Claus, who will be available for photos opening night at Mission Memorial Auditorium.

The Public Workers’ Electric Light Parade on King Street will make its way from River Street in Chinatown to Kawaiahao Street, led by the crowd’s favorite mascot, the dancing City Lights. This year there will also be a Honolulu City Lights block party featuring more than a dozen food booths along the Diamond Head side of Punchbowl Street.

The annual event is presented for free by the city and Friends of Honolulu City Lights on the Frank F. Fasi Civic Center Grounds. Honolulu City Lights will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. through Jan. 1, including Christmas and New Year’s days.