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Christmas with kids in Ocean View
Christmas in Ocean View on Hawaii's Big Island is a neighborly affair. A family on Lehua and Palm has lit up its corner for about twenty years, and the community gathers for free holiday music.
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Holidays in Kahuku
When: Sat, Dec 5, 9 am to 3 pm
Where: Kahuku Unit, Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, Ocean View
Cost:
The story of Christmas in Ocean View
How Ocean View celebrates
Ocean View keeps Christmas close to home. The best-known tradition is the Houvener family display at the corner of Lehua and Palm, which the family has put up for about two decades. Cutouts and inflatable figures glow night after night through the end of the year. Music is the other tradition: the South Hawaii Symphony and The Jazz Gardeners have played a free two-hour Christmas concert in Ocean View, and the symphony returns to the Ocean View Community Center in January. Across Hawaii, holiday customs blend Hawaiian and missionary traditions, with hula, kalua pork and Santa in an aloha shirt.
Christmas last year in Ocean View
The most recent season we could confirm was December 2024, when the Houvener family marked the 20th year of its display on Lehua and Palm. It was also the fourth year Santa handed out gifts to children there. Kaida Houvener says he saves all year to buy the gifts and the materials for new decorations, and his family keeps adding new inflatables, while Michelle makes new cutouts. In January the Hawaii International Music Festival and the South Hawaii Symphony followed with a concert at the community center, with a suggested $30 donation.
Fun facts about Christmas in Ocean View
The Houvener display began about two decades ago, and Santa's gifts for children are a newer chapter, with 2024 marking the fourth year of gift giving. Ocean View's Christmas concert has been free, and it lasts two hours. Islandwide, Hawaii has some unusual Christmas sights, including Santa arriving by outrigger canoe at some beach events. Many shops and restaurants on the Big Island close on December 24 and 25.
Trains and Christmas near Ocean View
Hawaii has no Christmas train in Ocean View, but the islands do have rail history to visit. The closest museum is the small, community-run Laupahoehoe Train Museum on the Big Island's Hamakua Coast, in the old station agent's house, with a model train room and a big red caboose out front. It is open only four weekdays, so call ahead. On Oahu, the Hawaiian Railway Society runs narrated rides on restored narrow gauge track and keeps a free toy train museum.
- Laupahoehoe Train Museum: The nearest museum to Ocean View, with railroad photos, a model train room and a big red caboose on the Big Island's Hamakua Coast.
- Hawaiian Railway Society: Oahu's only historic train ride, a narrated two-hour trip on restored narrow gauge track, plus a free toy train museum.
Traditions today
- Houvener family Christmas display: A glowing corner of cutouts and inflatables at Lehua and Palm, lit night after night and kept up for about twenty years.
- Santa's gifts for local children: Santa hands out gifts at the Houvener display, a part of the tradition that began a few years before 2024.
- Free Christmas concert: The South Hawaii Symphony and The Jazz Gardeners have played a free two-hour concert in Ocean View just before Christmas.
- Winter concert at the community center: The Hawaii International Music Festival and South Hawaii Symphony bring music to the Ocean View Community Center in January.
- Hawaiian Christmas meal: Families across the islands gather for a big meal that often includes kalua pork, plus time at the beach and local music.
- Santa in an aloha shirt: Hawaii's Santa trades the heavy red coat for an aloha shirt, and in some places arrives by outrigger canoe.
A fact for kids
In Hawaii, Santa wears an aloha shirt. In Ocean View, one family has decorated the corner of Lehua and Palm for about twenty years, and Santa brings gifts for the children there.
Questions about Christmas in Ocean View
What is the best-known Christmas display in Ocean View?
The Houvener family display at the corner of Lehua and Palm is the best-known one we found. The family has put it up for about two decades, with cutouts and inflatable figures that stay lit through the end of the year. Families can drive or walk by in the evening to see it.
How long has the Houvener Christmas display been going?
It has run for about twenty years. December 2024 was the display's 20th year, according to a local news roundup. That makes it one of the longest running neighborhood Christmas traditions we could find in Ocean View, and the family keeps adding new pieces to it every year.
Does Santa visit the Ocean View display?
Yes, Santa gives gifts to children at the Houvener display. The 2024 season was the fourth year to include gift giving from Santa. Dates and times can change from year to year, so check local community news before you go, and bring the kids early in the evening.
Who makes the decorations on Lehua and Palm?
Kaida Houvener and his family build the display. His wife Michelle makes new cutouts, and the family regularly adds new inflatables. It is very much a home project, and each year the lawn changes a little, which gives repeat visitors something new to spot.
How is the Ocean View display paid for?
The sources we found say Kaida Houvener saves all year to buy gifts for the children and materials for new displays. That is a nice thing to share with kids: someone planning and saving for months so neighbors can have a bright, happy Christmas. Ask your children what they would save up to give.
How long do the lights stay on in Ocean View?
At the Houvener display on Lehua and Palm, the lights stay on through the end of the year, night after night. That means you do not have to visit on one special evening. Pick a calm night after dinner, which also works well for little ones who get sleepy.
Does Ocean View have a Christmas concert?
Yes. The South Hawaii Symphony and The Jazz Gardeners played a free, two-hour Christmas concert in Ocean View on Saturday, December 23, starting at 2 p.m. We found that listing for 2023, so check local news for each year's date. It is a relaxed way for families to hear holiday music.
Who plays Christmas music in Ocean View?
The South Hawaii Symphony and The Jazz Gardeners have performed together at the free Ocean View Christmas concert, which lasts two hours. The symphony has also played at the Ocean View Community Center in January with the Hawaii International Music Festival. Check local news for each year's performers.
Is there a Christmas parade in Ocean View?
We could not confirm a Christmas parade in Ocean View itself. Other Big Island towns do hold them, such as the Waimea Christmas Twilight Parade, the Kailua-Kona Christmas Parade on Aliʻi Drive and the Hilo Christmas Light Parade. See our Ocean View Christmas events guide on this page for what is planned nearby.
What do families in Hawaii eat at Christmas?
A traditional Hawaiian Christmas includes a big meal, and kalua pork is a favorite on the table. Families often add beach time and local music to the day. If your kids are curious, kalua pork is slow cooked until it is tender, so it makes a good talking point about food traditions.
What happens at the Ocean View Community Center in January?
After the holidays, the Hawaii International Music Festival and the South Hawaii Symphony followed Christmas 2024 with a concert at the Ocean View Community Center. The suggested donation was $30. It is a way to keep the holiday music going into the new year. Check local news for the next date, since we could not confirm one.
Why does Santa wear an aloha shirt in Hawaii?
Hawaii is warm in December, with daytime highs in the high 70s to 80s, so Santa trades the heavy red coat for an aloha shirt. Some events even show him arriving by outrigger canoe. It is a playful way to explain to children why Christmas looks different in the islands.
Is it warm at Christmas in Ocean View?
Hawaii stays warm in December. Daytime highs on the Big Island run in the high 70s to 80s, and the ocean is above 75 degrees Fahrenheit, according to a Hawaii Christmas guide. Pack a light layer and some sunscreen when you go to see the lights, and ask locals about conditions in Ocean View itself.
Where do Hawaiian Christmas traditions come from?
Hawaii's Christmas traditions blend Hawaiian and missionary customs. That is why you see hula shows and kalua pork alongside Santa, carols and gifts. It is a good story for kids: two cultures sharing a holiday, and each adding its own music, food and ways of gathering.
What is open on Christmas Day on the Big Island?
Many local restaurants and stores close on December 24 and 25, so plan ahead. Buy groceries and pick up any gifts before Christmas Eve, and book holiday meals early. If you are traveling, check with your lodging about what is open. Our Ocean View Christmas events guide on this page lists current plans.
When is the best time to see the Ocean View lights?
Visit after dark any evening before the end of December, because the Houvener display stays lit night after night through the end of the year. Early evening is easiest for young children. For anything with a set time, such as concerts or Santa gifts, use our Ocean View Christmas events guide on this page.
How do I explain the Houvener display to my kids?
Tell them it is a family gift to the neighborhood. One family has decorated its corner for about twenty years and saves all year to buy presents for children and materials for new decorations. Ask your kids which cutout or inflatable is their favorite, then talk about ways your family can share something with neighbors.
Why do people decorate their homes for Christmas in Ocean View?
The sources we found do not explain why, but the Houvener family says it saves all year to buy gifts and display materials for neighborhood children. Ask your kids what they would put in a display of their own, then look at our Ocean View Christmas events guide on this page for places to see lights.
What is the closest train museum to Ocean View?
The Laupahoehoe Train Museum is the nearest one on our list. It is a small, community-run museum in the old station agent's house on the Big Island's Hamakua Coast, with railroad photos, a model train room and a big red caboose out front. It is open only four weekdays, so call ahead.
Can we ride a train in Hawaii around Christmas?
Hawaii has heritage train rides on other islands. On Oahu, the Hawaiian Railway Society runs narrated two-hour round trips on restored narrow gauge track and has a free toy train museum. Holiday schedules vary, so check each website before you plan a trip.
Sources
- Ocean View Christmas concert Saturday, Dec. 23, West Hawaii Today
- Kau news briefs, December 30, 2024, Kau News Briefs
- Things to Do in Hawaii During Christmas by Island, The Hawaii Vacation Guide
- Laupahoehoe Train Museum, Rally Takes the Train
- Hawaiian Railway Society, Rally Takes the Train