For many Hawai'i Kai residents, the Christmas season arrives not with the consumerist overdrive of Black Friday but with Girl Scouts marching in homemade penguin costumes, the neighborhood high school band blaring "Feliz Navidad," and a long caravan of classic cars and local pageant queens.

In what has become a cherished Hawai'i Kai tradition, thousands of area residents and visitors crowded overheated sidewalks and grassy medians along Lunalilo Home Road yesterday for the Hawai'i Kai Lions Club's annual Keiki Kalikimaka Parade.

"This is the only thing that gets me in the holiday mood," said Casey Kwak, whose daughter Kylie was one of 10 Girl Scout Cadets who enacted their own March of the Penguins at the parade.

Other Girl Scout groups followed, dressed as candy canes, elves and toy soldiers.

A high-stepping Uncle Sam led the march to Koko Marina, followed by the Kaiser High School Air Force Junior ROTC, Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann (wearing festive green sneakers), the Royal Hawaiian Band and parade grand marshals Bobby Moderow Jr., Kahi Kaonohi and Richard Gideon of the musical group Maunalua.

Kuapa Preschool teacher Joy Koyanagi said she spent the previous night praying that all of her students would show up and that the weather would hold. Both were realized as a beaming group of antler-bedecked students and parents waved to family, friends and neighbors under perfectly clear skies.

"It's really a community thing," Koyanagi said.

The parade also featured special guests the Avante Garde Drum and Flag Corp from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and the Buena High School Marching Colts band from Arizona.

The Colts, who earlier visited the Arizona Memorial, presented Toys for Tots with 107 new unwrapped toys.

Military personnel organized under the Marine Corps Reserve also collected toys along the route.

Navy man Ernest Martinez assisted with the toy collection and handed out pens and rulers to kids.

"This is something I love doing anywhere, anytime," he said. "It's especially important during the holidays because there are so many families of service men and women who are away on deployment."

Martinez, who served in Iraq, said he is looking forward to his first Christmas at home in three years.

Many in the crowd said they were looking forward to the parade in a Christmas season likely marked by financial restraint.

"We're all cutting back," said Nick Young, who lives just off the parade route. "But it's hard, especially if you have grandkids."

Michelle Driggers, who drove in from Kane'ohe just to see the parade, said she has no intention of scrimping this holiday season.

"I cut back all through the year, but I'm not going to cut back now," she said. "If you don't support the retailers, you hurt the overall economy."

Driggers and her 10-month-old son, Kala'i, were all smiles as they watched a giant waving beverage roll by, courtesy of Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf.

"I love the people here," said Driggers, gesturing to the line of spectators seated in beach chairs along the sidewalk . "There's so much aloha."