Approaching its 60th anniversary, Fort Lauderdale’s hallowed Mai-Kai got into the Halloween spirit with its eighth annual Hulaween party on Friday, Oct. 28. More than 100 costumed revelers packed The Molokai lounge for an evening of deadly tropical drinks and live music from Slip and the Spinouts. The highlight was the creepy and creative costume contest, a South Florida tradition.
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The event’s theme, “Curse of the Cannibals,” honored The Mai-Kai’s rich history as one of the world’s top Tiki bars and Polynesian restaurants (Critiki website users rank it No. 1 in the world). The iconic “three cannibals” logo has been a mainstay since the Dec. 28, 1956, opening.
During Hulaween, the fun is timeless as Slip Mahoney and his band ripped through three sets of roots rock and rockabilly hits from the past half-century. Always in the spirit of the event, Slip and his band joined the costumed hordes. Only at The Mai-Kai during Hulaween will you find Elvis performing on guitar and vocals with a Stormtrooper from Star Wars on bass and a SWAT team member on drums (Mahoney, Kristi Lÿnx and Jason Furman, respectively).
After eight years, Hulaween has become known for its laid-back party atmosphere amid the vintage nautical decor in The Molokai. This year, the weekly New Times newspaper ranked it as the No. 2 Halloween party in Broward and Palm Beach counties. Only the massive MoonFest ranked higher.
But Hulaween is still an intimate affair. Many guests arrived early, with special jungle exotica tunes (mahalo to Spyrate Radio) adding to the atmosphere of the fully-decorated bar. The Molokai girls were also in costume, though still wearing their signature sarongs (another Mai-Kai tradition that goes back to the mid-century era). Happy hour ran from 5 to 7, with most of the bar’s signature cocktails, from the Zombie to the Shrunken Skull, available at half-price. Just as popular were the bar’s classic Polynesian pupus, plus the new selection of sushi and signature tapas.
After happy hour, Slip and the Spinouts kicked out the jams, making their sixth Hulaween appearance. Partiers danced to the beat as the band covered everything from country-tinged rock ‘n’ roll to surf to blues. The band, which has been a fixture on the local scene for decades, is also known for its original tunes (Seven Nights to Rock, 13 Miles) that harken back to a vintage era.
Spotted in the crowd were many classic costumes, from Beetlejuice to E.T. as well as wacky originals. Zombie doctors mingled with cannibals, while Baron Boris von Frankenstein beamed himself back from the 1967 Mad Monster Party and Hannibal Lecter sipped potent Tiki cocktails. Yours truly conjured up the ghost of Don the Beachcomber, the Tiki bar pionner considered to be The Mai-Kai’s evolutionary forefather. [More photos on Facebook]
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