You could forgive the owners, management and staff of the Mai-Kai for taking a deep breath and resting on their laurels in early 2026 after a spectacular 2025, the first full year back in business after a four-year hiatus and $20 million restoration of the historic South Florida restaurant. Luckily for fans of the 69-year-old Polynesian palace, that’s not the case. Not by a long shot.
More than a year after reopening, the Mai-Kai’s lush landscaping is thriving. The signature cannibal carvings bid guests farewell. (Photos by Hurricane Hayward, February 2026)
Business is booming as the Mai-Kai remains laser-focused on improving the cocktails, food and entire guest experience. Last year ended with a bang, culminating with a memorable anniversary celebration featuring more than 20 past on-stage performers from the Mai-Kai Islanders. This came on the heels of an elaborate themed overlay and creative cocktail menu for the Christmas holidays.
• 2025 Mai-Kai recaps: Exclusive ongoing coverage | Bar and cocktail news
The new year brought a new selection of modern tropical drinks, plus some creative takes on old classics. Also in January, the Mai-Kai launched a weekly schedule of themed specials, including In the Biz Mondays, Tiki Tuesdays, Wahine Wednesdays, and Karaoke Night on Thursdays. Live bands continue to entertain Molokai Bar guests on Fridays, and more activities for kids are part of the early Sunday festivities (along with a monthly meet-up for classic car owners.)
Skinny Jimmy Stingray and his band perform in the Molokai on Feb. 27. They return to rock the bar on March 20. (Photos by Hurricane Hayward)
A new food menu was introduced in February, updated with a half-dozen new dishes from chef Justin Sherrer. The Mai-Kai hosted several high-profile events, starting with a Miami Rum Congress pre-party featuring multiple rum brands and special tastings. During the nationally acclaimed South Beach Wine & Food Festival, Sherrer participated in Miami while general manager and beverage director Cory Starr hosted a sold-out Tiki cocktail master class in the Bora Bora Bar.
Bartender Justin Rivera leads guests in creating cocktails during a master class hosted by the Mai-Kai as part of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival on Feb. 21. Students created their own garnish. (Photos by Hurricane Hayward)
This story will cover all of the above while also offering a preview of upcoming events, plus more. Stay tuned for stories on other major projects around the Mai-Kai property, including the restoration of a 60-year-old tiki icon and construction of a new event center and back-of-house facilities.
More than 600 rum producers, bartenders, brands and enthusiasts are expected for the seventh annual event organized by Federico Hernandez and The Rum Lab, which also produces events in Puerto Rico, Chicago, New York, and elsewhere around the U.S. and Europe. [Past event photos] The Rhum Week schedule includes events from Fort Lauderdale to Key Biscayne, allowing more people to get a taste of great rums and cocktails from some of the industry’s top brands and VIPs.
The centerpiece remains the official Rum Congress seminars on Friday and “Grand Tasting” on Saturday at the convention center in the heart of South Beach. Experts from around the world will participate in eight seminars, while the tasting rooms will feature more than 85 brands offering samples of some 200 distinct rum expressions, available neat and in a “Twisted Daiquiri.”
Rhum Barbancourt (Haiti) and Rhum Clement (Martinique) were two of many brands participating in last year’s Miami Rum Congress. (Photos by Hurricane Hayward / Feb. 1, 2025)
Mai-Kai pre-party to include seminar, rare Tahiti rum release
Rhum Week activities kick off Thursday (Feb. 5) at the historic Mai-Kai in Oakland Park, northwest of Fort Lauderdale. The restaurant’s Bora Bora and Molokai bars will host the South Seas Soiree, presented by the Florida Rum Society in association with Planteray Rum. The event will feature a talk by master blender Alexandre Gabriel along with complimentary tastings.
The rum society will also celebrate a special new release, produced by Down Island Spirits and sourced from Tahiti. It’s the perfect location to launch the Maiden Voyage expression, believed to be the first Tahitian single barrel rum ever sold in the United States. The Mai-Kai’s founding Thornton family has deep ties to Tahiti. The 69-year-old Tiki temple features artwork from the Pacific island, plus authentic music and dance as part of the nightly Polynesian Islander Revue, the oldest continually-running authentic South Seas stage show in the United States (including Hawaii).
Gabriel will discuss “the technical secrets behind the blends designed to match the high-octane energy of the Mai-Kai’s iconic cocktail program while meeting the exacting needs of the modern drink-smith,” according to an event invitation. Guests will also get a taste of Planteray’s Mister Fogg Sail No. 2, an inventive new blend that follows the historic methods of Britain’s Royal Navy rum.
Following years of tumultuous news, it was somewhat of a relief to enjoy a year free from extreme upheaval or drama. Sure, 2025 was also devoid of blockbuster good news, but there’s something to be said for a calm normalcy, especially when it comes to Tiki. That’s not to say that nothing happened last year. There were plenty of headlines and stories that evolved over time. But unlike past years, no one or two stories rose above the rest.
If there were any common themes, the first would be a continued reverence for the past, a foundational element for the modern Tiki scene. The other that seems to be evolving is Tiki culture’s slow growth into new territory and addition of new fans. Whether it’s through film, new bars and events, or the continued influence of the torch-bearers, this natural evolution can’t be denied.
Rather than rank these stories by importance, like past years, we present the top seven stories in no particular order. All are significant and deserve equal recognition. Bonus cocktail recipe:A tribute to the Mai-Kai’s Christmas Barrel
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ALOHA NEW TIKI BARS: Openings continue in 2025
The proliferation of new Tiki and Tiki-adjacent bars every year should no longer be a big surprise. We’ve been documenting this trend in our top news stories every year since 2020, even in the grip of the COVID pandemic. That in and of itself makes it a big story in 2025, reflecting what should be recognized as a legitimate and permanent feature of the modern bar and restaurant industry, not just a trend or “craze.” What’s crazy is Tiki bars are often still not recognized on the same level as other craft cocktail bars. What’s clear, happily, is there appears to be no end in sight to the growth of new bars and restaurants.
Dirty Birds Tiki Bar & Grill in Cocoa Beach features authentic design and Tiki decor by “Typhoon Tommy” Allsmiller (right) and Scott “Flounder” Scheidly, who did much of the work on the Mai-Kai restoration. (Photos by Rob Ripley, Andrew Turner / October, November 2025)
If we missed any, please let us know and we’ll add them to the list. In 2026, be sure to support all local Tiki bars, new and established. The MyTiki.Life website offers a robust database of commercial bars.
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IN MEMORIUM: Remembering those we lost.
Unlike some past years, the losses suffered in 2025 were not as frequent or earth-shattering. But no matter how large or small, they do need to be recognized and remembered.
In April, Kapu Bar closed after two years in Petaluma, Calif. One online report says the building owner sold the property and the bar owners may relocate. … In May, The Sorrow Drowner in Wilmington, N.C., closed after three years of presenting a unique “Tiki-noir” bar experience in an immersive space decorated by “Trader Brandon” Kleyla, who also worked on Disney’s Enchanted Tiki bars on both coasts. The owners are reportedly planning a move to the west coast, so stay tuned. … Marama Room, closed abruptly at the end of May after opening in April in Huntington Beach, Calif. An Instagram post said the owners were “fervently working with potential investors and inquiring about new locations in the Huntington Beach/Orange County area.”
Marty Reyes (left) and Jen Ann Tonic with their crew from Swizzle at The Hukilau in June 2024. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward)
In July, Swizzle closed its Greenville Avenue location in Dallas after five years, but owners Marty Reyes and Jen Ann Tonic are keeping the brand alive with pop-ups and catering events. … The tropical bar and restaurant Laki Kane closed its Upper Street Islington location in London after seven years of operation to move into a “new chapter.” The venue went out with a bang, featuring a month of farewell events leading up to the Sept. 1 closing. The Laki Kane proprietors announced that this may be goodbye for now, but their “story isn’t over”. A small, temporary Laki Kane lounge opened in October in the Covent Garden restaurant in London and continues to operate in early 2026.
Get ready for an action-packed year in the world of Tiki culture with this preview of the many returning events. Check back for updates on the many weekenders and one-off gatherings for fans of rum, lowbrow and mid-century modern art, surf and rockabilly music, Disney, and most anything of interest to the Tiki community.
The Year in Tiki 2025: Recap the top events in photos, video
It was another banner year for Tiki and adjacent events in 2025 as the calendar continued to expand with new gatherings, large and small. Our full recap contains streaming video, plus social media photos and links to more coverage on many happenings around the world.
Make our calendar better
Feel free to share events via email or Facebook message (special events only, no regular band gigs or general bar promotions).
The Mai-Kai is honoring its cultural legacy on its 69th anniversary, inviting more than 20 past performers from the Polynesian Islander Revue to participate in a two-day event Dec. 27-28 at the South Florida restaurant. The national historic landmark opened its doors Dec. 28, 1956, adding an authentic dinner show in the early 1960s. Live coverage below:Photos, video of alumni anniversary weekend
• Saturday (Dec. 27) features alumni shows at 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. with a meet-and-greet from 7 to 8. • Sunday (Dec. 28) showcases a 69th anniversary show at 1, 4, and 7 p.m.
The stage show combines music (by the Mai-Kai Serenaders) and dance (by the Mai-Kai Islanders) into a flamboyant but culturally accurate tribute to the islands of the South Pacific, running up to three shows a night, seven days a week for the past six decades. After a four-year interruption when the Mai-Kai was closed for a $20 million restoration and reimagination, the revue remains the oldest continually-running authentic South Seas stage show in the United States (including Hawaii).
Since the Mai-Kai reopened in November 2024, the show has returned bigger and better than ever, featuring second and third-generation performers. The bond between the current and past has never been stronger, creating a familial atmosphere that opened the doors to this year’s unprecedented reunion.
Pasefika Iosia performs the fire knife dance at the Mai-Kai in 1975. He was also an accomplished musician and member of the house band (top left). (Mai-Kai photos)
The festivities will be dedicated to the memory of a legend who we recently lost. Pasefika Iosia, a native of Samoa who spent more than three decades as an entertainer at the Mai-Kai, passed away Dec. 1 in Port St. Lucie, Fla., at age 87. Many whose lives he touched gathered at the Mai-Kai on Dec. 14 to remember “Fika,” who started his career as dancer in 1970 and later performed in the band.
The Mai-Kai paid tribute in an official social media post: “His talent and charisma on stage were unforgettable, and off stage he brought people together through friendship, sports, and laughter. Pasefika wasn’t just a performer – he was family. Thank you, Pasefika, for the joy, spirit, and memories you shared. You will always be in our hearts.”
Among those who came to pay their respects was Mai-Kai matriarch Mireille Thornton, who was one of the original dancers before taking over as choreographer and cultural director for the next six decades. She married owner Bob Thornton, leading the family ownership group after his death in 1989 through the 2020 closing.
Mileto (center) takes a bow at the end of his final performance as a member of the Mai-Kai Islanders, led by Polynesian cultural director Lono (right). (Photo by Hurricane Hayward / Dec. 19, 2025)
On Dec. 19, a new name was added to the list of alumni when Luiz Mileto ended a more than 25-year run as one of the Mai-Kai’s signature fire knife dancers. Mileto (aka Letz) received an on-stage tribute during his final show, garnering a flurry of leis from his fellow performers and a standing ovation from the hundreds of attendees in the audience. He has long been the Mai-Kai’s most recognizable male dancer, the elder statesman known for his good humor, but serious and skilled on-stage talents.
The Tiki Times: Preview the 2026 calendar of events
Get ready for an action-packed year in the world of Tiki culture with this preview of the many returning events. Look ahead at the full calendar featuring official artwork and links to more info.
Paradise Reimagined: Deep Inside the Mai-Kai Restoration
Attendees at Inuhele 2025 in Atlanta enjoyed an exclusive look at the reimagination and revival of the historic restaurant during a special multimedia presentation featuring photos, video and inside tips. Check out slideshow highlights, plus two walk-through videos with creative director “Typhoon Tommy” Allsmiller.
Jan. 31-Feb. 2 – Miami Rum Congress at the Miami Beach Convention Center.
Photos & video: Mai-Kai joins Miami Rum Congress festivities
The Mai-Kai was once again at ground zero of the rum world as brands, VIPs and enthusiasts flocked to South Florida. The restaurant hosted a special event and participated in several events in Miami Beach.
The Mai-Kai is embracing the season to be jolly like never before with a Christmas overlay featuring extensive decor, a limited-edition mug, and a new menu of 12 creative cocktails that celebrate spirits and flavors from around the world. RELATED:Mai-Kai legends return to the stage for 69th anniversary celebration
The Mai-Kai’s holiday lights and theming immerse guests from the beginning to the end of their journey to the Polynesian wonderland. (Photos by Hurricane Hayward, December 2025)
The minute you arrive at the historic South Florida restaurant, you’re swept away to a tropical winter wonderland, surrounded by giant wreaths and swaths of palm trees clad in holiday lights. Santa hats adorn the signature cannibal carvings under the banyan trees, and a large wreath hangs from the signature water feature, the bubbling caldera in the center of the vehicle roundabout.
The Bora Bora Bar and main entrance are awash with lights and festive touches, including the outdoor space’s own Christmas tree looming above the bartenders. Presents surround another tree high above the front doors under the restored porte-cochère.
Chelsea and Avery welcome you to the Molokai Mistletoe Lounge, where the servers clad in their holiday sarongs treat guests to the Twelve Drinks of Christmas. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward / Dec. 7, 2025)
Inside, the Molokai Bar is ground zero for the holiday cheer, nearly every available space covered in lights, ornaments, and lots of mistletoe. It’s over the top but tastefully done. The “Molokai Mistletoe Lounge” servers have joined the fun with their cheery new outfits. Just don’t try to catch one of the sarong-clad servers under a mistletoe … they move fast. More below:Photos, video of the Mai-Kai’s holiday theming
Just as robust as the decorations, the events calendar started Dec. 1 with the launch of the new “Twelve Drinks of Christmas Around the World” menu. The new craft cocktails (plus a Christmas Mystery Bowl), take center stage on the main cocktail menu, available in both bars plus the dining rooms.
The good cheer extends to the late-night hours in both bars, which host special happy hours from 9 to 11 p.m. every Friday and Saturday throughout December. Like the regular happy hour, which runs seven days a week from 4 to 7 p.m., most signature cocktails (including the 12 Christmas drinks) are 50 percent off the regular price. There’s also a special late-night food menu. Check the reviews and photos below as we taste our way through the cocktails. Christmas cocktail guide: Analysis, ratings, insights from bar manager Michael DeMahyUPDATED
Mai-Kai fans and collectors received an early Christmas treat on Wednesday, Dec. 3, when a limited Christmas Rum Barrel mug was released at a special event attended by Florida artist John Mulder. His merry holiday version of the Mai-Kai’s signature mug, limited to 250 numbered pieces, sold out by mid-December.
The grand reopening year at the Mai-Kai reached a fitting, frightfully fun climax on Halloween night with the Polynesian palace’s signature Hulaween party. Hundreds of revelers, many in creative costumes, enjoyed the event’s 13th edition, the first held inside the restaurant since 2019.
South Florida rockabilly favorites Slip and the Spinouts made their 10th Hulaween appearance, jamming all night in the Molokai Bar. Meanwhile, DJ Banzai Bill played an eclectic mix of tunes outside in the Bora Bora Bar, where the highlight was a costume contest with dozens competing for the $1,000 grand prize.
Slip and the Spinouts kick off Hulaween 2025 on Oct. 31 while the Molokai mermaids prepare to serve thirsty guests. (Photos by Hurricane Hayward, the Mai-Kai)
Oct. 31 was the highlight of a month filled with Hulaween-themed events, including Wicked Bingo, the Blue Hawaii Elvis Show with Dan Cunningham, a ’70s disco night, and a party for kids. This monthlong celebration was a first for the Mai-Kai, featuring elaborate decor throughout the grounds continually updated in the lead-up to Halloween night.
The two artists responsible for the highly themed artwork – Tom Fowner and LuRu – got into the spirit of the event, both earning a spot in the costume contest finals with their significant others.
The six finalists lined up under the porte-cochère in the new Bora Bora Bar, competing not only with their inventive creations but also joining an impromptu dance-off when Michael Jackson’s classic Thriller blasted out of the speakers before the winners were announced. If was definitely a scene to behold, one of the few times of the year when the Mai-Kai sets aside decorum and lets loose with abandon.
No doubt, the shenanigans were well-deserved and long-anticipated. It was the first Hulaween bash in five years, when a drive-in movie party was held in the parking lot on Oct. 30, 2020, amid the COVID pandemic and just days after the restaurant’s closing. Caused by a catastrophic roof collapse over the kitchen, this disaster was as scary as any horror movie. But, luckily, it has a happy ending.
An ominous sea monster and Tiki deity welcome you to Hulaween at the Mai-Kai in October 2025. (Official photo)
A sale to new ownership in 2021 led to a $20 million restoration and reimagination that consumed 2022, 2023 and much of 2024. But, like a classic creature that can’t be stopped, the Mai-Kai emerged bigger and better than ever last November. Hulaween 2025 fittingly served as a celebration of the Mai-Kai’s first year back from the brink of disaster.
The immersive decor and elaborate story only added to the anticipation of the Halloween night finale. In an alternate tale of the Mutiny on the Bounty, the Mai-Kai became ground zero of a battle between skeleton pirates and a giant sea monster. The scenes played out all along the entry driveway, the bubbling caldera, the walkway and Bora Bora Bar, the Molokai Bar and its new front deck, plus the sprawling rear tiki gardens.
Fowner estimated that the artistic team installed 60 pirate and 10 mermaid skeletons, plus 40 kraken tentacles containing 2,100 suckers. As he explains in a video walk-though we filmed three days before Halloween, you never see the actual monster, just the tentacles. Which is even scarier because it means its so enormous, you can’t see it all. “He’s everywhere,” Fowner warned.
Tom Fowner and LuRu are responsible for the elaborately themed decor during Hulaween 2025.
It would not be facetious to say that the release of the Mai-Kai’s new signature rum is so close you can taste it. In fact, there will be multiple ways to enjoy the long-awaited Mai-Kai Rum No. 1 in association with the 16th annual Miami Rum Renaissance Festival. See below: Social media recaps
You still must wait a little longer before you can take a bottle home, but you can be among the first to see and sample the new 100-proof blend from Barbados and Jamaica since its recent bottling and initial shipment to the historic Fort Lauderdale restaurant. You’ll have three opportunities this week:
You can taste Mai-Kai Rum No. 1 at several upcoming events as part of the 2025 Miami Rum Renaissance Festival. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward, August 2025)
Thursday, Nov. 6: Sneak Preview Party at the Mai-Kai from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Mai-Kai Rum No. 1 will be offered to guests both neat and in cocktails. It won’t be officially available for purchase in the gift shop yet, but beverage director Cory Starr said the Mai-Kai is planning a full-blown launch party in December.
Saturday, Nov. 8: A special presentation on the rum’s development at the Coral Gables Marriott at 2 p.m. as part of the festival’s seminar day. You’ll be able to taste the unique blend and learn about its development in a one-hour session with Adrienne Stoner of Maison Ferrand, which produced the rum sourced from the West Indies Rum Distillery in Barbados and Long Pond Distillery in Jamaica. An $89 ticket gets you into all three of that day’s seminars from noon to 5 p.m. [More info below]
Sunday, Nov. 9: The Grand Tasting event from 12:30 to 5 p.m. at the Coral Gables Woman’s Club as part of the annual sampling of hundreds of rums from around the world. The Mai-Kai will host a booth featuring the rum along with merchandise, joining the many distilleries, importers, producers, distributors and boutique brands on display. Tickets range from $89 to $109 and include unlimited samples.
Mai-Kai Rum No. 1 was previewed on Spike’s Breezeway Cocktail Hour in July.
Mai-Kai Old Style Special Rum Number One, as it’s officially known, has been eagerly awaited by rum and Tiki cocktail fans who frequent the 68-year-old Polynesian palace. This week’s tastings are the latest to whet our appetites while we await the official release date. The rum received high marks from the crowd at Tiki Oasis in San Diego during a special preview in August. [Photos, full recap]
The Miami Rum Renaissance Festival is the perfect platform to once again showcase the Mai-Kai’s first branded spirit. Last year’s event included a presentation with Starr and longtime manager Kern Mattei joining the Atomic Grog for a look at the Mai-Kai’s legendary bar program, plus tastings and cocktail samples featuring Rum No. 1. The rum was also featured during a panel discussion at Miami Rum Congress in February. [Photos, more coverage]
Miami Rum Renaissance attracts hundreds of hobbyists and rum experts from around the world to South Florida for a weekend filled with educational and informative explorations of cane spirits. Founded by rum collectors and enthusiasts Robin and Robert A. Burr in 2009, the event was one of the first of its kind in the United States. It remains a cornerstone on the ever-growing spirts calendar.
In addition to the Thursday event at the Mai-Kai, there will be a Rum Renaissance free kickoff event on Friday from 4:30 to 5:30 at Primo Liquors & Fine Wines in Fort Lauderdale. The Sunrise Boulevard store will host a Planteray Rum pop-up happy hour with Adrienne Stoner, the brand’s national ambassador. [Reserve a spot via Eventbrite] Primo, which has six locations in Broward County, is the festival’s new on-site and online rum sales partner.
The Mai-Kai welcomed two towering Tiki carvings to its reimagined entry area during The Hukilau main event on June 6. One was created locally by a familiar artist, the other came from Arizona thanks to a veteran carver who traveled to South Florida to be a part of the unveiling.
A new 10-foot carving by Will Anders was installed June 3 at the Mai-Kai next to the building and near the valet pick-up. Like the mysterious tiki added near the main entrance doors, it was covered until the June 6 unveiling. (Photos by Kern Mattei, “Tiki John” Atkins)
Both were installed in the days before the event, but they were wrapped like mummies, adding an air of mystery to the occasion. The largest of the two was placed next the north side of the building near the valet stand. You can see it on the right as you walk toward the porte-cochère and Bora Bora Bar. The other greets you under the thatched roof, directly left of the front doors.
If you follow this blog, you probably had a good idea what the big one was. Back in March, we wrote about a 10-foot carving by Will Anders that was awaiting installation. The Fort Lauderdale carver is best known for the two large tikis in the back gardens, along with one of the three to the north of the Bora Bora Bar. Previous coverage:New Tiki carvings await installation throughout the grounds
Hotu Matua, the new carving that stands at the entrance to the Mai-Kai, was created by Arizona artist “Tiki Ray” Kieffer. You can pick up a variety of his custom pendants in the gift shop. (Photos by Hurricane Hayward / June, April 2025)
The source of the second was later revealed to be “Tiki Ray” Kieffer, whose pendants have been featured in the gift shop. One of those wearable tikis is a tribute to King Kai, the 10-foot Anders carving in the gardens. Having the two artists on hand when their new pieces were unveiled made the event even more special.
Kieffer made arrangements to travel from his Arizona home. After the June 6 unveiling, he spent time in the Mai-Kai Trading Company, where guests lined up to meet him and have their pendants signed. Arriving a few days early, he joined The Hukilau pre-party festivities on June 4.
The Wednesday happy hour was a great opportunity to hang out with Tiki artists. The Hukilau’s Build Your Own Tiki Bar Conference kicked off at the host Beachcomber Resort in Pompano Beach, featuring a who’s who of builders and fabricators, including two who helped restore the Mai-Kai: “Typhoon Tommy” Allsmiller and Scott “Flounder” Scheidly. When I met up with Anders and Kieffer in the Molokai Bar, I made sure to snap a photo with other Mai-Kai craftsmen out on the front deck.
Five craftsmen who have contributed their artistry to the Mai-Kai gather in front of the Molokai Bar during The Hukilau pre-party on June 4: Conrad Teheiura Itchener (left), Tom Fowner, “Tiki Ray” Kieffer, Will Anders, and Todd Ashbaugh. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward)
When discussing carvings, it’s also worth noting the contributions of South Florida’s Tom Fowner, another key member of the restoration team who has cranked out six new medium-sized tikis since the November reopening. Three comprise the iconic “cannibal trio” that greets vehicles on the right side of the immersive new driveway as they leave the property. [See past coverage] The other four, detailed in our March story, remain inside the restaurant but likely will find permanent homes around the outside of the property.
All told, these nine new tikis that can now be seen around the Mai-Kai mark the largest influx of original wood carvings since the 1960s or ’70s. There was no better way to mark the occasion than The Hukilau main event, making its return to the Mai-Kai for the first since 2019. The Mai-Kai’s 2020 closing and subsequent restoration efforts limited activities during the following years to several outdoor cocktail events, plus indoor tours for small groups of villagers, as the event’s attendees are known.
The Hukilau, the world’s second oldest Tiki weekender, moved to South Florida and the Mai-Kai for its second annual event in 2003. For the next 16 years, it became the hub of Mai-Kai appreciation as villagers flocked from around the world to visit the last remaining example of a grand mid-century Polynesian supper club. If anyone could appreciate the style and craft that went into the new tikis, it was this group of fans.
“Tiki Ray” Kieffer rubs the belly of Hotu Matua, his new carving for the Mai-Kai uncovered by beverage director Cory Starr. Meanwhile, Will Anders admires his towering carving that was also unveiled on June 6. (Photos by Hurricane Hayward)
Excitement built as the Friday night event approached, but the two figures remained under wraps. Around 5 p.m., most of The Hukilau’s villagers had arrived for an extended happy hour and two seatings of the Polynesian Islander Revue, the oldest continually-running authentic South Seas stage show in the United States (including Hawaii). Outside in the Bora Bora Bar, Eva & Kully took a break from performing retro-classic tunes as guests were urged to gather by the main entrance.
