City crews began installing decorations on the Frank F. Fasi Civic Center Grounds on Monday, kicking off preparations for the 42nd annual Honolulu City Lights, which opens downtown on December 5 with a new lighted tunnel, illuminated trees and train rides for keiki. This year's theme, Christmas in the Country, swaps the usual tropical Santa imagery for Hawaiian paniolo flair, and the display will stretch beyond Honolulu Hale into festive setups along Alapaʻi and Beretania streets.
The early start to setup traces back to the return of event producer Mike Gangloff and Show Aloha Land to the Fasi grounds, according to the Office of the Mayor, which says the team is adding 250 feet of lighted tunnels and 50 illuminated trees to the grounds this year. As reported by Hawaii News Now, crews are preparing the Honolulu Hale displays while the new train ride and lighted tunnel take shape nearby.
A Theme Rooted in Paniolo Tradition
The Christmas in the Country theme complements Kapolei City Lights' own 2026 theme, Paniolo Nights & Holiday Lights, set to open November 28. The city's Department of Parks and Recreation sponsors Kapolei City Lights.
Longtime fixtures of the Honolulu display aren't going anywhere amid the new paniolo touches. The 21-foot, two-ton Shaka Santa sculpture — designed by Owen Ho and crafted by Kurt Nelson back in 1989 — will again perch above the Honolulu Hale fountain, joined by Tūtū Mele, the Snow Family gnomes and the giant ABC blocks that have anchored the display since the early 1990s, according to the nonprofit Friends of Honolulu City Lights.
From a Single Tree to a Monthlong Tradition
Honolulu City Lights traces back to December 12, 1985, when Mayor Frank F. Fasi unveiled a 50-foot Norfolk Pine decorated with wooden white doves and gold balls; the festival officially adopted its current name in 1987. The event's history is documented by the same Friends of Honolulu City Lights nonprofit, which was established in 1991 to raise funds and help keep the celebration free. The Public Workers' Electric Light Parade was added in 1990, featuring decorated city work vehicles and high school marching bands.
That parade tradition continues this year: the block party at Punchbowl Street and the civic center grounds starts at 4 p.m. on December 5, followed by the Public Workers' Electric Light Parade beginning at 6 p.m. from ʻAʻala Park. Mayor Rick Blangiardi is expected to light the city's holiday tree and the surrounding displays as the parade passes Honolulu Hale, per the seed report.
Strict Rules Govern the Official Tree
Whatever tree ultimately anchors this year's display will have to meet narrow city standards. The city's Division of Urban Forestry accepts centerpiece tree donations from only two species — Norfolk Island Pine and Cook Island Pine — and donor trees must pass safety, height, overhead-line and access inspections before crews can harvest them, according to Honolulu's Department of Parks and Recreation. The final selection and donor origin of this year's tree had not been detailed as of the latest reporting.
Opening night alone typically draws more than 75,000 people downtown, with total attendance climbing into the hundreds of thousands over the course of December, the nonprofit notes on its sponsorship page.
A Growing Footprint Downtown
Last year's 41st edition marked the festival's biggest geographic expansion in recent memory, adding Thomas Square Park as a second official site lit simultaneously with Honolulu Hale on opening night, complete with extra light tunnels, keiki rides and artisan vendor booths, according to Honolulu City Tours. Hoodline previously covered the city's search for a towering 55-foot Cook Pine for the 40th anniversary display. The city also invited nonprofits to apply for display permits ahead of the 2025 event. With setup now underway more than six weeks before opening night, residents can expect the familiar mix of civic pride, free admission and heavy downtown foot traffic once Mayor Blangiardi flips the switch on December 5.
