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You are in for a treat if you’re headed to Hawaii during the Christmas season. This neighborhood light show really gets into the Christmas spirit with their synchronized lights and Hawaiian themed decorations. You can easily spend a couple of hours here exploring each house and taking a gazillion pictures (like I did)!
Mele Kalikimaka!
Aloha with love,
Amy
From the moment you turn the corner into Anapau Place, you can hear the holiday music, the cheer and the laughter – and they warm your heart like a hot cup of cocoa with whip cream and mini marshmallows on top. There are children of all ages having the time of their lives everywhere you look and it’s so much fun to just stroll and enjoy the sights.
Local Tip: This place has operating hours – check out their website for more information. Things to remember: Anapau Place (it’s a cul-de-sac) as well as Hopoe Place (the next cul-de-sac over) only allow foot traffic during “operating hours”.
Keith Yoshida is the man behind it all with his synchronized light show throughout the whole neighborhood. Lights flash and change colors to the beat while each house showcases its own personality with themes ranging from Star Wars to animal menageries.
My favorite thing to see were all of the excited children! The decorations invite young children to pose with enormous teddy bears and cute characters and you’ll find it hard to not “ooh” and “ahh” at the fabulous decorations yourself!
Local Tip: This place is definitely worth it even if you’re a tourist visiting Hawaii. Anapau Place made it to national TV on ABC in a Christmas Lights competition TV series so it’s certainly worth it to see if you’re in the islands during Christmas time.
Everywhere you look there is a hint of Hawaii in this Christmas neighborhood. From brilliantly lit palm trees to aquariums decorated with Christmas spirit, you’ll be stopping at every single house to admire each careful decorative detail. Just check out those fish! Yes, they’re real!
Even this Santa fishing for his next meal like any local from Hawaii made an appearance! Creativity Hawaiian-style is around every corner to give you a surge of joy and a giggle. It looks like he’s got a good 10 pound fish there!
One of my favorites is this little wonderland. This family has converted their front window into a toy store window shopping experience. The display allows you to go all the way up to the front door as you take a peek at this enchanting village.
There are several moving parts in this joyful mini neighborhood, including ice skating M&Ms, chugging handcars moving back and forth and even Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy having the time of their lives on a swing.
You’ll find other unique gems all over the neighborhood like this old car, which has probably been here FOREVER judging by those tires. But every year, they dress it up and look who has the wheel! Looks like Rudolph is getting tired of leading the sleigh ride and wants to travel in style in Hawaii.
And Star Wars fans rejoice! Our favorite R2-D2 makes its own lyrics to this holiday tune that gave each passerby a laugh. This house even had Yoda playing with the force up on the roof – but I’ll leave that to your imagination! Or, you’ll just have to wait until you come visit Anapau Place yourself.
Since this neighborhood revels in being unique, you’ll see Christmas decorations that you’ve probably never seen before. Check out this zoo! I especially LOVED the peacock – I didn’t even know they sell those! And of course, I had to include the elephant – one of my favorite animals ever!
Extra Recommendations
If you’re interested in more Christmas lights in Hawaii, check out this annually updated blog post from Beyond Honolulu – I use it each year whenever I’m in the mood for viewing some Christmas lights.
Another place I’d recommend is taking a walk around Honolulu to experience the Honolulu City Lights. Be ready for BIG decorations, rides, crafts, food, one-of-a-kind souvenirs, activities and events.
And if you aren’t up to walking, you can take the Honolulu City Lights tour by trolley or double-decker bus! This is a seasonal event, but a ton of fun, affordable and perfect for those who may not be up for walking around (or hunting for parking).
