Monday, January 20, 2020
Parades are fun and easy to attend when staying at the Four Paddle, only two blocks off the parade route. Parades typically march southeast down the one-way street, Kalakaua Avenue. The parade wasn’t mentioned in any of the tourist books and pamphlets available in Waikiki. One would expect tourists would want to know if getting in and out of Waikiki would become impossible for hours.
It was the no parking signs standing sentinel on each of the side-streets connecting Kuhio to Kalakaua that caught my attention. Then the Internet revealed the start time and route. See the Hawaii Martin Luther King Jr. Coalition website.
Assuming this parade would be similar to previous experience with parades down Kalakaua Avenue, I was a little disappointed at the end that there were only two marching bands.
Looking northwest up Kalakaua Avenue before the parade started, there was a beautiful rainbow above the parade route. Would this be a rainbow themed parade?
Churches and other religious organizations marched in the parade.
There was an official grand marshal riding atop a fancy new Corvette.
Labor unions marched in the parade.
Andrew Yang, Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg supporters marched for social justice, fair wages and healthcare for all.
The 2020 Census joined the parade.
Local county democrats marched.
Mayoral candidate marched with supporters.
University students came to march for Dr. King.
Local schools marched for peace and justice.
Sororities and Fraternities marched in the parade.
State workers from the Civil Rights Commission and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission marched.
LBGTQ groups marched in the parade.
Two different teacher groups marched.
Girls on unicycles rolled down the parade route. Their organizational affiliations weren’t clear.
If there had been an award for the best float, I’m sure the sanitation workers would have cleaned up!
Appropriately, The Bus celebrated Rosa Parks, a true here of the civil rights movement.
The last marchers were Hari Krishnas haunted by drum thumps and bell clangs.
In the end, Kalakaua reopened and traffic once again flowed.
Hope to see you on the road ahead.