All-star statewide band to join Waikiki parade

By Walter Wright
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawai'i's statewide all-star marching band, 350 strong, will make its parade debut at 7 p.m. tomorrow, participating with some of the best high school marching bands in the country in the fourth annual Waikiki Holiday Parade.

"These Hawai'i students will march together for the first time in an organized event," said Jake Peppers, the former Hawai'i resident who organized the first Hula Bowl Parade and this year is bringing in more than 1,000 out-of-state band players and family members.

Those band members and their families are expected to boost Hawai'i's economy by about $1.5 million on spending on airfare, hotels, food, activities and gifts.

The Hawai'i band is managed by John Riggle, band director of Kamehameha Schools, and directed by Michael Payton. It includes high school students from across the state.

The "starlight" parade will make its way down Kalakaua Avenue, starting at the corner of Saratoga Road and ending at the Honolulu Zoo, with Hawai'i entertainer Jimmy Borges as grand marshal.

In addition to the bands, the parade will include about 40 military units, business floats and fraternal organizations with marching units.

Held annually on the day after Thanksgiving, the parade rings in the holiday season and honors the survivors of Pearl Harbor. Many of the Mainland bands will make special appearances during the week at the USS Arizona Memorial visitor center.

Student band members will have an opportunity to talk to survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor and learn about how America was drawn into World War II.

They will also vacation and tour during the week, with visits to the Polynesian Cultural Center and Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park.

Reach Walter Wright at wwright@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8054.