The Tiki Times: Archive of past events, monthly recaps
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OCTOBER 2017 TIKI EVENTS CALENDAR
Spotlight events: UK RumFest (Oct. 14-15) | Circa Caliente (Oct. 20-23)
Ongoing events | Upcoming events
Oct. 1 – Tiki Day at Disneyland. The sixth annual gathering that celebrates the love of Tiki includes meet-ups in the park, group rides and meet-and-greet at Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar.
Oct. 1 – Tiki Safari in Australia, a celebration of Tiki culture featuring live music, DJs, merchandise, food and carver Tiki Bob plying his trade.
Oct. 3-7 – El Floridita’s 200th anniversary celebration in Havana, Cuba. Tales of the Cocktail presents a once-in-a-lifetime excursion to celebrate the bicentennial of the legendary cocktail bar with special events, tours, tastings, competitions and more.
Oct. 5 – Tiki bar launch at Death or Glory in Delray Beach, Fla. A party celebrating the opening of the South Florida restaurant and craft cocktail den’s new Tiki bar, featuring live performances by Skinny Jimmy Stingray and Polynesian Proud Productions. Proprietor Ayme Harrison (formerly of Kreepy Tiki Lounge in Fort Lauderdale) will also be launching a new Tiki mug designed by Tiki Diablo.
Oct. 6 – The Art of Tiki: Exhibition opening party and book release at La Luz De Jesus Gallery in Hollywood, Calif. The launch of the 21st anniversary Art of Tiki show (curated by Otto von Stroheim), which runs through Oct. 29, along with the accompanying book by author Sven Kirsten (Tiki Pop, The Book of Tiki). The original Art of Tiki exhibition in 1996 ushered in the postmodern Tiki era, introducing new art by such acclaimed artists as Mark Ryden, Shag, Mitch O’Connell and The Pizz. The new exhibit brings back some artists from the original show (Shag, O’Connell, Von Franco, Crazy Al Evans, Jeffrey Vallance, Mary Fleener) plus artists from around the world – Bai (France), Danielle (Australia), Mookie Sato (Japan), and Dr. Alderete (Mexico). The show includes 30 of today’s top Tiki artists, including Bosko, Brad “Tiki Shark” Parker, Thor, Kevin and Jody, Tiki Diablo, Tiki Tony, Doug Horne, Big Toe, Ken Ruzic, Gecko, Michael Uhlenkott, Joe Vitale, Donella Vitale, Derek Yaniger, Scott Scheidly, and Eric October. If you can’t make it to the show, you can order the book online. As a special bonus, the exhibit includes “The Art of Tiki: No False Idols,” billed as “the world’s first and most comprehensive public offering of original, mid-century Tiki decor.” It will feature commercial carvings, fixtures, furniture and lighting from some of the most famous and obscure mid-century Tiki temples. Items for sale include those from such notable establishments as Trader Vic’s, Kona Kai and Kon Tiki culled from the private collection of Jordan Reichek. Artists represented include LeRoy Schmaltz of Oceanic Arts, Barney West, William Westenhaver, Jim Casey, Milan Guanko, Richard Ellis and Andres Bumatay.
More from Critiki News: Interview with Otto von Stroheim
Jordan Reichek’s collection of rare mid-century Polynesian Pop
A sneak peek at Sven Kirstens latest book
Press coverage
* You can own a piece of mid-century Tiki history at this gallery show
Oct. 7 – Voices of the Xtabay: A Tribute to Yma Sumac at the Hammer Museum at the University of California, Los Angeles. A free event featuring Latinx vocalists and musicians reimagining the songs of legendary Peruvian singer Yma Sumac, whose vocal range was said to be well over five octaves. The concert honoring the queen of exotica was inspired by the Hammer exhibition “Radical Women: Latin American Art, 1960–1985” and features a band led by Alberto López of Jungle Fire.
Oct. 14 – Don’s Tiki Makeke “Hulaween” at Don the Beachcomber in Huntington Beach, Calif. More than 50 vendors selling their wares, plus authentic Polynesian music and hula dancers, live bands, food and drinks, plus more.
Oct. 14 – Shag’s Mad Monster Party print release at Shag the Store in Hollywood. Meet Shag while enjoying complimentary cocktails and DJ Wyatt Magnum. Get a signed print and other items during the free print release party for “Mad, Mad, Mad Monster Party.”
Oct. 14-15 – Charles Phoenix Retro Disneyland Slideshow at the Curtis Theater in Brea, Calif. Join the ambassador of Americana for celebration of Walt’s paradise in the 1950s and ’60s. See long-gone attractions, including the Phantom Boats, Flying Saucers, Indian Village, Rainbow Mountain Stage Coaches, PeopleMover, Carousel of Progress, and more.
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Oct. 14-15 – UK RumFest is the largest and most important rum festival in the world. The 11th annual celebration of cane spirits, organized by global rum ambassador Ian Burrell, has a new venue in 2017: London’s ILEC Conference Centre, Earl’s Court. The event’s focus is on premium and rare rum blends unavailable anywhere else in the world.
Joy Spence of Appleton Rum with Ian Burrell at UK RumFest 2016. [Watch video]
UK RumFest highlights
* What else? Rum! UK RumFest will once again showcase more than 400 of the most diverse rums from across the globe. Those seeking the most rare and acclaimed rums can sign up for tastings hosted by Gianluca Gargano (presenting Velier Rums), Tatu Kaarlas (Australia) of Refined Vices, Matt Pietrek (USA) of Cocktail Wonk, plus more.
* Seminars and masterclasses hosted by industry heavyweights: “Scotch Malt Whisky Society Single Cask Rum Tasting” with global rum ambassador Ian Burrell, “The Tiki Cocktail Top 10” with author and barkeep Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, “A Brief History of Rum” with Richard Seale (Foursquare Distillery), and “Volatile Substances: Understanding the Taste Elements of Rums and its Terroirs” with Alexandre Gabriel (Plantation Rum) are among the highlights.
* Eclectic live entertainment: A main stage will keep imbibers entertained with mouth-watering food from across the globe, presentations, holiday giveaways, plus live music and dancing during “Carnival Hour.”
* The Golden Rum Barrel Awards: Since 2010, the most prestigious award given to rums from various categories as nominated by an academy of rum experts and journalists from all over the world.
Press coverage
* UK RumFest 2017 in photos
* Ian Burrell: ‘We’ve only just started shouting about rum’
Official sites: RumFest.co.uk | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube
* Past coverage from A Mountain of Crushed Ice
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Oct. 14-15 – German Rum Festival in Berlin. The seventh annual event includes its first cocktail competition, The Spirit of Rum, along with tastings, exhibitors and the German Rum Awards.
Press coverage: A Mountain of Crushed Ice
Oct. 19-22 – Modernism Week Fall Preview in Palm Springs, a sampling of some of the most popular events from the annual February festival. Includes the Palm Springs Modernism Show & Sale, architectural walking tours, festive cocktail parties, home tours, stimulating lectures, the Charles Phoenix: Super Duper Double Decker Bus Tour, plus more.
Social media: ModernismWeek.com | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Press coverage: 5 can’t-miss events at Modernism Week Fall Preview 2017
* Past Atomic Grog coverage, photos
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Oct. 20-23 – Circa Caliente at the historic Caliente Tropics Resort in Palm Springs. This celebration of the music, art, fashion, and pop culture from the 1950s through 1980s is the newest event from Rory Snyder, creator and host of Tiki Caliente and proprietor of The Reef in the Caliente Tropics. Replacing the previous fall event, Mod Palm Springs, Circa Caliente promises “a hearty helping of Tiki” in the mix of bands, vendors, room parties, rum tastings and more. It also conveniently overlaps with the Modernism Week Fall Preview to give fans of mid-century style and culture a smorgasbord of retro happenings.
Circa Caliente highlights
* Mod music on multiple stages: Like the Snyder’s previous fall event, Mod Palm Springs, and the spring fling Tiki Caliente, there will be plenty of musical acts for all tastes performing on three stages around the Caliente Tropics property, including poolside and in The Reef bar. The lineup includes TikiTronic (Thursday), Joey & His Showmen (Friday), The Hula Girls (Friday), Martini Kings (Friday and Saturday), Jason Hanna and the Bullfighters (Saturday), The Do-Its (Saturday), and Zullu (Sunday).
* Intimate room parties: Spread throughout the schedule are pop-up bars hosted by guests and sponsors (including Tonga Hut) in rooms around the resort. Highly themed and festive, these bashes include Magnum D.I.Y., the Totally Taki Tiki ’80s Dance Party, Indiana Jones and the Tiki of Doom, and Animal House Toga Party.
* Sample some rum: Don Q ambassador Grant Berentsen will offer tastes of many of the brand’s fine Puerto Rican rums on Thursday night.
* Add a mug to your collection: The limited-edition event mug (only 75 will be created in the event glaze) is being created by John Mulder and Eekum Bookum.
Official sites: CircaCaliente.bigcartel.com | Facebook
* Past Atomic Grog coverage
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Oct. 21 – The Original Tiki Market Place Octikifest Celebration in Garden Grove, Calif. Featuring vendors, live Hawaiian entertainment, food, friends, and more at the Garden Grove Elks Lodge.
Oct. 21 – The Shag Store Grand Re-Opening at Shag the Store in Palm Springs. Closed since an Aug. 2 fire, the flagship location of artist Josh Agle’s retail empire christens its expanded location during Modernism Week Fall Preview weekend. Featuring live music by Martini Kings, complimentary cocktails and the release of Shag’s latest print, “Pina Colada Popsicle.” Shag will personalize and sign prints and items purchased at the store.
* Press coveage from Palm Springs Life
Oct. 22 – Monsters & Mai Tais Parking Lot Sale & Art Show at Tonga Hut in Los Angeles. The sixth annual Halloween-themed event includes dozens of vendors and artists, live music from Jason Lee and the Black Tides, DJ Tonga Tom, a food truck, and a festive costume contest.
Oct. 25 – Inside the Desert Oasis Room Anniversary Party & Mug Release at the Tiki-Ti in Los Angeles. Adrian Eustaquio celebrates the one-year anniversary of his podcast with a party featuring raffles, prizes, giveaways and the release of a mug created by Tiki Diablo and sponsored by Tanduay Rum. Also featuring the debut of a new Tiki-Ti cocktail, the Desert Oasis Punch.
Oct. 27 – Hulaween 2017 at The Mai-Kai in Fort Lauderdale. The ninth annual Halloween party in The Molokai lounge at the historic Polynesian restaurant featuring Slip and the Spinouts, costume contest and prizes, drink specials, and more!
The Shrunken Skulls pay tribute to an iconic Mai-Kai cocktail (top). The Evil Monkey and Wicked Witch accept their best costume award and prizes from The Mai-Kai’s Kern Mattei (aka Elvis), The Atomic Grog’s Hurricane Hayward (The Tiki Riddler), and The Mai-Kai’s Pia Dahlquist (the kooky clown).
The Atomic Grog: Full review and photo gallery
Oct. 28 – Curse of the Tiki IV at Don the Beachcomber in Huntington Beach, Calif., featuring the world of oddities and the bizarre. Includes live music from The Hula Girls, Franks and Deans from Las Vegas, and Deke Dickerson’s Link Wray tribute, Blind Rage and Fury. Plus Christopher Wonder’s “Glorious Mess of Magic,” a fire performance by Tiki Laidy, burlesque by Alaina Rose Lee, and a costume contest.
Oct. 31 – Coconut Club Halloween Night at Clifton’s Pacific Seas in Los Angeles. A ghoulish Tiki extravaganza from The Coconut Club featuring signature cocktails, culinary specialties, live bands, DJs and more.
Oct. 31 – Forbidden Island Hulaween at the Tiki bar in Alameda, Calif. Featuring spooky music by Robert Silverman on the theremin, DJ Terrifying Tanoa “Samoa Boy,” movies and horror trailers, creepy cocktail specials, and costume contest.
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ONGOING MONTHLY EVENTS
First Thursday – Otto’s Grotto at Forbidden Island in Alameda, Calif. Tiki Oasis mastermind and DJ Otto von Stroheim spins his favorite exotic tunes.
Oct. 7 – Unsteady Freddie’s Surf-Rock/Pop Shindig at Otto’s Shrunken Head in New York City.
Oct. 12 – Tiki Bingo at The Mai-Kai in Fort Lauderdale hosted by the Gumbo Limbo Chapter of the Fraternal Order Of Moai. A fund-raising event featuring an extended happy hour.
Third Wednesday – Primativa in Hi-Fi at Otto’s Shrunken Head in New York City. DJs Jack Fetterman and Gina of the Jungle spin the best exotica, lounge and cocktail music.
Last Thursday – Shipwreck’d at Porco Lounge & Tiki Room in Cleveland. DJ Max Payola of WCSB 89.3 spins rare vinyl that celebrates the crushed velvet lounge scene of the ’60s and ’70s.
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SAVE THE DATE: 2018 SPOTLIGHT EVENTS
Feb. 15-25 – Modernism Week in Palm Springs, Calif. [Atomic Grog coverage]
April 19-22 – Viva Las Vegas rockabilly weekend. [Atomic Grog coverage]
June 6-10 – The Hukilau in Fort Lauderdale. [Atomic Grog coverage]
June 9-10 – Rum Renaissance Festival at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale.
June 28-July 1 – Ohana: Luau At The Lake at The Tiki Resort, Lake George, N.Y. [Atomic Grog coverage]
July 13-15 – Tiki Kon in Portland, Ore. [Atomic Grog coverage]
July 17-22 – Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans, La. [Atomic Grog coverage]
Aug. 8-12 – Tiki Oasis in San Diego, Calif. [Atomic Grog coverage]
Aug. 18 – Asbury Park Surf Music Festival on the New Jersey shore. [Atomic Grog coverage]
Sept. 6-9 – Huka Pele Tiki Weekender in Las Vegas.
Oct. 20-21 – UK RumFest in London.
More events coming soon!
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