Philip Greene Archives

From the ashes of the Week in Tiki (and, later, the Month in Tiki) rises The Tiki Times. Still ambitious, but more practical, this monthly guide to what’s going on across the world of Tiki culture will hopefully be a definitive resource of where to find special events that touch on topics of interest to many Tikiphiles. You’ll find all the major Tiki festivals, plus smaller gatherings along with events that scratch our itch for rum and cocktails, surf and rockabilly music, mid-century modern design, even Disney. And don’t forget authentic Polynesian culture, the well from which Tiki springs. The biggest will get extended coverage as “spotlight events.”
Social media: Follow our Facebook page for daily news updates
Pinterest | Coming soon: Twitter and Instagram

JULY 2017 TIKI EVENTS CALENDAR
Spotlight event: Tales of the Cocktail (July 18-23)
Ongoing events | Upcoming events

July 6-9 – Exotica 10 Years After featuring the finest in surf, garage and roots music in venues throughout Chicago.

July 8 – Tiki Night at The Egyptian Theater in Hollywood. The American Cinematheque’s 13th annual Tiki Night event starts at 1:30 p.m. with a Tiki marketplace and continues into the evening with an exclusive screening of the 1994 film Rapa Nui. The day’s activities include live music by King Kukulele and the Friki Tikis, performances by the Polynesian Paradise Dancers, Tiki vendors, the Aloha Fridays food truck, and craft Tiki cocktails.
* More info | Facebook event

July 9 – Surfin’ Sundays at the Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum. A free, all-ages summer concert series at the Huntington Beach Pier in Southern California. Featuring The MuerTones, Durango 66, Tequila Worms, 3 Balls Of Fire, Driving Guitars (The Ventures tribute), and The Breakaways.

July 14-15 – Spirit of Tiki Cocktail Festival in London. This second annual event brings the tropical atmosphere of the South Pacific to Regent’s Park for a celebration of Tiki culture with a focus on rum and exotic cocktails. Includes Tiki art, performances, music (including British singer Andy Abraham) and food. Organized by Mahiki bar manager Georgi Radev, rum enthusiast Roger Barnes and global rum ambassador Ian Burrell.
* Facebook page | Press coverage (The Spirits business)

July 15 – Tiki Fashion Show at Trader Vic’s in Emeryville, Calif. A showcase of vintage aloha fashions and music from DJ Otto von Stroheim.

July 15- Tiki Makeke at Don the Beachcomber in Huntington Beach, Calif. More than 60 vendors selling their wares, plus authentic Polynesian music and hula dancers, live bands, food and drinks, plus more. Live music by The Hula Girls.

July 15 – Tiki Run in St. Paul, Minn., featuring races (5k, 10k, half marathon, etc.), costume contest, and post-race party.
* Facebook page

Continue reading “The Tiki Times – July 2017 Events Calendar: Tales of the Cocktail takes over”

After coming precariously close to saying aloha and goodbye to The Hukilau, the long-running Tiki event she has organized since 2002, Christie “Tiki Kiliki” White is sure glad things turned out differently. “For me, it was the best event in the history of The Hukilau,” she said of the five-day festival in June that not only marked the 13th annual gathering of vintage culture devotees from around the world, but also a new beginning.

The Hukilau's Christie "Tiki Kiliki" White introduces her new partners, Richard Oneslager (left) and Mike Zielinski, during Saturday night's Main Event at The Mai-Kai. — The Hukilau’s Christie “Tiki Kiliki” White introduces her new partners, Richard Oneslager (left) and Mike Zielinski, during Saturday night’s Main Event at The Mai-Kai.

Just months before she planned to close the books on The Hukilau for good, White was approached by two fans of the event who also happened to be experienced businessmen and event organizers who were eager to strike up a partnership. “I consider myself a very lucky person,” she said of the serendipity of the happenstance that led to The Hukilau not only surviving to see 2015, but becoming poised to thrive and reach new audiences across the country.

I sat down with Tiki Kiliki recently at The Mai-Kai, the beloved 57-year-old Polynesian restaurant that serves as the inspiration for the event, to get the lowdown on what she and her new partners, Richard Oneslager and Mike Zielinski, have in the works for The Hukilau and how their mutually beneficial partnership came about. But first, a look back at that memorable event in June that was expanded to five days in anticipation of a last hurrah. Instead, it turned into a celebration of what’s to come.

The Hukilau 2014 was held June 11-15 at the Bahia Mar Beach Resort and The Mai-Kai in Fort Lauderdale.
See below: Gallery of 62 photos from The Atomic Grog. Click on bold links below for galleries by the official photographers at Go11 Media.
Related: The Hukilau offers a deep dive into the history of porthole cocktail lounges
The Hukilau 2015 will be held June 10-14. Get updates at TheHukilau.com and Facebook.

In the waning hours of The Hukilau on Sunday, artist Crazy Al Evans and author Jeff "Beachbum" Berry get one last chance to savor The Mai-Kai, its cocktails and its tropical garden. — In the waning hours of The Hukilau on Sunday, artist Crazy Al Evans and author Jeff “Beachbum” Berry get one last chance to savor The Mai-Kai, its cocktails and its tropical garden.

“This is going to sound really strange, but sort of like Disney, it was kind of like magic this year,” Tiki Kiliki told me. “You can’t really explain it, but everything just fell into place in a magical way. We talked about it afterwards. We don’t really know what the magic formula was, it just happened.”

The magic started on Wednesday, June 11, when what was formerly an informal night at The Mai-Kai became the Unofficial Official Pre-Party. South Florida roots/rockabilly band Slip and the Spinouts jammed in the sold-out Molokai bar while other attendees enjoyed many of the bar’s 47 classic Tiki cocktails and the restaurant’s extensive appetizer and dinner menu in the more sedate dining rooms. Logistical problems at the Sheraton Yankee Clipper forced the cancellation of Marina the Fire Eating Mermaid’s scheduled midnight swim show, but that just gave some attendees the opportunity to begin their room parties early. Disappointed guests were heartened by the fact that there was much more Marina to come.

Continue reading “Following ‘magical’ 2014, Tiki Kiliki has big plans for The Hukilau in 2015 and beyond”