Episode 43: The creation of Honolulu City Lights
On this episode of the One O'ahu Podcast, Owen Ho, Artistic Designer for the Friends of Honolulu City Lights, joins host Brandi Higa to discuss how Honolulu City Lights came to be the annual holiday celebration it is today, the genesis of his iconic Shaka Santa sculpture, and what it was like to work with Carol Costa, affectionately known as the “Mother of Honolulu City Lights.”
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Genesis of Honolulu City Lights
On this week’s episode of the One O’ahu Podcast, Owen Ho, longtime designer for Honolulu City Lights talks about when he was first asked to help with the annual holiday celebration. Ho was working for Duty Free at the time as Visual Director for the U.S. Division. Owen Ho was tapped by Mayor Frank Fasi to come up with ideas for a City Lights event and the rest is history.
“I’ve pretty much designed 90% of the statues,” said Ho when describing his role with Honolulu City Lights. “I don’t create them because I’m not that creative. But I come up with the concept, put it on paper, and then give it to the City.”
Currently, Honolulu City Lights opening night features the annual tree lighting ceremony, the Public Workers’ Electric Light Parade, and the Honolulu City Lights block party. Displays are sprinkled throughout the Fasi Civic Grounds and the Employee Tree Exhibition and Wreath Contest fill Honolulu Hale during the month of December.
Shaka Santa
In 1989, Owen Ho designed Shaka Santa. Standing 21-feet high and weighing 2-tons, sculptor Kurt Nelson took Ho’s design and made it a reality. Shaka Santa takes his place each year just as he did over 30 years ago on the outdoor fountain fronting Honolulu Hale.
“We could cut off the wrist of Santa and have him just waving rather than shaka,” explains Ho on this episode of the One O‘ahu Podcast. “After Frank Fasi’s term, Jeremy Harris became mayor and he said, ‘No, it’s an icon. We can’t cut Santa’s hand.’ And the Shaka Santa stayed.”
Created in 1994, Tūtū Mele received an aloha-inspired makeover in 1998, adopting the new moniker and replacing her North Pole attire with a floral-print mu‘umu‘u, kukui nut lei, and Hawaiian bracelet.
Remembering Carol Costa
Known as the “Mother of Honolulu City Lights,” Carol Costa died in October of this year at the age of 80. In 1985, Carol Costa was Mayor Frank Fasi’s then-Press Secretary when he tasked her with “Decking the Halls” and the front lawn for the holiday season.
“She did everything,” explained Ho. “She gelled. She had the community. She’d pick up the phone and ask the CEO of a company, ‘would you put a tree on the sidewalk?’ If we needed funding she would help solicit so that we could get money to do again the free exhibit with minimal City money.”
This year, a hand-carved dove is on display to remember Costa and her lasting impact on Honolulu City Lights.
