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 world’s first (and largest) multi-day event celebrating the Polynesian Pop revival celebrated its 25th anniversary with a bang Aug. 6-10, when Tiki Oasis literally took over the sprawling Town and Country Resort in San Diego. Thousands of guests enjoyed five days of non-stop fun with more than 25 musical guests and 30 DJs, 50 seminars on an endless array of topics, a Tiki marketplace packed with 150+ artists and vendors, plus lots more.
Medusirena performs with The Tikiyaki Orchestra on Aug. 7 during Tiki Oasis 2025. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward)
Tiki Oasis 25th anniversary: Aug. 6-10, 2025, at the Town and Country Resort in San Diego, featuring live entertainment (The Blue Hawaiians, The Bomboras, Lenny Kaye, The Ghastly Ones, The Hula Girls, Martini Kings, The Tikiyaki Orchestra), DJs, seminars and classes (Sven Kirsten, Charles Phoenix, Kevin Lively, Ian Burrell, King Kukulele, Medusirena), artists and vendors, cocktails and room parties, plus much more. Official program:See all the participating guests, artists, and events Listen to the bands:Tiki Oasis 2025 playlist on Spotify
We were privileged to attend and participate in this historic happening, teaming up with the Mai-Kai’s Cory Starr and “Typhoon Tommy” Allsmiller for the presentation Sneak Peek into the Historic Mai-Kai’s Secret Bar on Saturday (Aug. 9). Check out the photos below from our seminar and others. The warm welcome was much appreciated, and we hope to return next year for Tiki Oasis 26.
The main performance stage was a blast from the past, with some of the event’s most notable bands returning for the 25th anniversary event’s nightly concerts. We posted videos of some of the bands in a playlist on our YouTube channel. They’re also playable below, along with other performance clips.
The Don the Beachcomber brand was represented at Tiki Oasis 2025 by Erin Sullivan (left) and beverage director Marie King serving cocktails, and creative director Justin Peterson selling merchandise in the marketplace. (Photos by Hurricane Hayward, August 2025)
Naturally, Tiki Oasis features the world’s largest marketplace catering to all things Tiki, where you could find just about anything your heart desires. Live music and pop-up bars enhanced the experience, captured in many marketplace images shared below.
Speaking of pop-up bars, the nightly room parties were another highlight as both professional and home bartenders hosted events small and large, serving both classic and creative new cocktails. See photos and video below and also try the recipe for a great drink we enjoyed at the Mcbiff Cocktail Hour party.
It wasn’t hard to find friends and VIPs everywhere with the event attracting some of the top names in the Tiki revival for its many activities and events. A list of everything we enjoyed would be extensive, so we thought a selection of social media posts would be the best way to showcase the overall vibe as well as the good time had by all.
Among the many seminars at Tiki Oasis 2025 were Ian Burrell (left) discussing the finer points of Jamaican Rum, and Adrian Eustaquio exploring the history of the Tiki-Ti and founder Ray Buhen. (Photos by Hurricane Hayward, August 2025)
Mahalo to everyone who shared photos and video on public online social media pages. We’ve tried to include as many varied posts as possible. If we missed you and you’d like to be included, just shoot us a message on Facebook or Instagram.
While California may still be king of the hill with its abundance of classic and modern Tiki bars, constant events and confluence of Polynesian Pop’s movers and shakers, another sunny state on the opposite side of the country is quickly becoming a must-visit destination for more than its beaches and theme parks.
Worlds collide: The Mai-Kai’s manager, Kern Mattei, runs into Don the Beachcomber beverage director Marie King backstage in the cocktail prep area at Tiki Oasis in San Diego in August. They will both be very busy in 2024 with their establishments in Florida. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward)
This weekend’s return of Tiki Fever in Sarasota reminds us of all the things that make Florida a hot spot for seekers of a vintage experience. The event takes place at a classic retro resort and the state’s oldest Tiki bar (Bahi Hut). It includes four days of revelry featuring top bands, presenters, vendors, and more. It’s a relatively new event, celebrating its third gathering Thursday-Sunday, Oct. 5-8.
But next year is when it really heats up. A promising new weekender, Tiki-a-Go-Go, will debut in April in Orlando. The state’s vanguard Tiki event, The Hukilau, will return to southeast Florida in June.
Early 2024 should also mark the return of perhaps the state’s No. 1 destination for fans of classic Tiki, the revered Mai-Kai Restaurant and Polynesian Show. If that’s not enough, Florida is ground zero for the resurrection of the Don the Beachcomber restaurant brand. The Florida-based parent company plans to open at least two new locations in the state between now and the end of 2025.
The Hukilau draws cocktail and Tiki experts from around the world, including David Wondrich (left) and Jeff “Beachbum” Berry. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward / June 2023)
Sure, we’re still home to the ubiquitous “Florida Man,” often oppressive humidity, and increasingly questionable politics. But for all the reasons above, and more outlined below, Florida deserves to become a must-visit destination for fans of classic Tiki as well as the modern revival.
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FLORIDA TIKI EVENTS
Here’s a preview of the state’s three major weekenders, plus a roundup of other events of interest. (Florida-based artists, musicians and businesses are highlighted throughout the rest of this story with links.)
The Hukilau returned to the picturesque Fort Lauderdale area oceanfront for an 19th time for four days of Polynesian Pop paradise in America’s vacationland. After missing in-person festivities in 2020 due to the pandemic, many of the event’s loyal “villagers” looked forward to getting back to The Mai-Kai and checking out the new host hotel. UPDATED:See daily social media photos below: Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday
The Beachcomber on Pompano Beach is a throwback to earlier years, a smaller venue with lots of outdoor space that works perfectly in the current environment. And while The Mai-Kai has remained closed for extensive refurbishment and repairs since last October, the historic Polynesian restaurant once again hosted a Saturday evening gathering as it has since 2003, a year after The Hukilau made its debut in Atlanta.
GUEST BARS & BARTENDERS: Among the cocktail offerings were drinks from Ayme Harrison (Death or Glory, Delray Beach, Fla.), Luau Lads (Jacksonville, Fla.), Marie King and Ian Yarborough (Tonga Hut, Los Angeles and Palm Springs, Calif.), Scotty Schuder (Dirty Dick, Paris), Greg Schutt (Tropics, Cocoa Beach), and Kimberly Platt (Honu, Dunedin, Fla.).
A limited number of tickets are still available for The Hukilau 2021, scheduled for Sept. 16-19 at the Beachcomber Resort & Club in Pompano Beach, according to an email announcement. The 19th Tiki weekender will also include a special event at The Mai-Kai in Fort Lauderdale.
Regarding concerns over safety and COVID, the email announcement noted that “all signs still point to a fun, safe, outdoor event.” It added: “In the event that The Hukilau 2021 must be cancelled, or at any point you would prefer to hang back, we are offering full refunds for all passes and tickets, including service fees.” Have questions? Check out the online FAQ at TheHukilau.com or email organizer Richard Oneslager.
Ticket options range from all-inclusive passes to à la carte events. Here are the highlights:
Villagers enjoy The Hukilau’s Rum Island Pool Party in June 2019 at the Pier Sixty-Six Hotel & Marina in Fort Lauderdale. (Photo by Heather McKean)
Beachcomber Pass ($269): Villagers buying the entry-level pass receive admission to Friday and Saturday’s Rum Island Pool Parties, Saturday’s Tiki Treasures Bazaar, plus a “Bungalow Party Pass” at the Beachcomber. The pool parties and bungalows will feature complimentary drinks from top Tiki bars and bartenders from around the country, plus live entertainment and sponsor booths. Also included is Saturday’s Save Paradise Party at The Mai-Kai, which will feature a private seating in the outdoor porte-cochère and access to buy authentic Mai-Kai cocktails along with a special announcement on the future of the historic restaurant. Entertainment will be provided by Polynesian Islander Revue performers. Passholders can also add a rum tasting pass ($25) and symposiums ($10 each) à la carte. (Symposium tickets sold on a space-available basis.)
Aloha Pass ($299): This mid-level pass includes all of the Beachcomber perks, plus admission to Thursday’s kickoff party featuring live music and cocktails. Beachcomber passholders also receive a complimentary rum tasting pass and access to all symposiums, plus free transportation to The Mai-Kai. Both Beachcomber and Aloha passholders can also buy à la carte tickets to Friday’s luau on the beach ($49 cocktails only, $129 food and drinks) and Sunday’s Tiki brunch ($49).
The Beachcomber Resort & Club has a secluded oceanfront space on Pompano Beach.
South Seas Pass ($599): Villagers at the top tier receive all of the same benefits that the other passholders receive, with the cost of the Friday luau (cocktails and dinner) and Sunday brunch included in the pass. They will also get early admission to the luau and bazaar, plus priority seating at symposiums. South Seas villagers will also be treated to a small custom Tiki created by Tiki Tony, plus a special reception at Saturday’s Mai-Kai party.
On April 20, The Hukilau announced that its 19th annual Tiki weekender scheduled for June 3-7 in Fort Laduerdale was being postponed by the coronavirus pandemic. In its place will be a series of events across the country aimed at raising money for Tiki bars devastated by shutdowns. Click the link below for more info.
Passes and tickets for The Hukilau 2020 are selling briskly after last week’s announcement of the full entertainment lineup for the 19th annual Tiki weekender June 3-7 at the B Ocean Resort and The Mai-Kai restaurant in Fort Lauderdale.
The Surfrajettes perform at The Mai-Kai in Fort Lauderdale during last year’s Hukilau preview party on March 2. The Canadian group is one of the 2020 headliners. (Atomic Grog photo)
Our previous report hinted at many of the headliners and new participants while offering up key details on the East Coast’s largest and longest-running gathering of Polynesian Pop culture enthusiasts. Now, with the launching of The Hukilau’s updated website, we can run down the full list of bands, symposium presenters, guest pop-up bars and more.
THE MUSIC
The biggest news was the reveal of the musical headliners. Returning for their second appearance at The Hukilau are The Surfrajettes from Toronto, Canada. Rising stars on the instrumental surf circuit, these four women have lived up to the hype after exploding onto the scene in 2015. Viral videos propelled their popularity, but their subsequent live performances and signing with Hi-Tide Recordings have proved that this band is more than just an Internet sensation. We were treated to their blend of classic surf, unique covers, and their own originals at The Hukilau 2018, followed by a special appearance at The Mai-Kai last March. Appearances last year at such high-profile events as Nashville Boogie, the Surf Guitar 101 Convention, and Tiki Oasis solidified their place as an event headliner. Look for a new single on Hi-Tide in April.
Eddie Angel (left) and Greg Townson (right) perform with Los Straitjackets in The Mai-Kai’s Tahiti room during The Hukilau 2018. The guitarists will be jamming, sans masks, at The Hukilau 2020. (Atomic Grog photo)
Perhaps the best known and most popular band to ever play The Hukilau is Los Straitjackets, who graced the festival in 2009 and 2018. While the masked marvels of instrumental rock won’t be returning in 2020, two of its key members will jam out this June in Fort Lauderdale. Guitarist Eddie Angel, who co-founded Los Straitjackets in 1988, also played The Hukilau with two other bands, The Martian Denny Orchestra and The Neanderthals. The Nashville-based guitarist has also had a longtime career as a sideman and solo artist, appearing on dozens of albums by some of the retro rock scene’s greats, dating back to 1978. At The Hukilau 2020, he’ll perform a solo set at Friday’s High Tide Party, backed the The Hi-Risers. On Saturday at The Mai-Kai, he’ll sit in as a fourth member of the roots rock band from Rochester, N.Y., for a few songs.
The Hi-Risers were formed by guitarist Greg Townson, a member of Los Straitjackets since 2010, and bassist/vocalist Todd Bradley back in 1998. The three-piece band will join forces with Los Straitjackets guitarist Eddie Angel for their first appearance at The Hukilau. For 20 years, the band has been constantly touring, recording and releasing rock ‘n’ roll records with a retro spin. Hi-Tide dropped a new single, Christmas with The Hi-Risers, in December and plans another record before June.
Another Hi-Tide band, Argentina’s Los Freneticos, is making its first appearance at The Hukilau. Founded in 2008, this foursome went against the grain of what was popular in their home country to establish a worldwide following with their mash-up of instrumental rock, surf, spaghetti western, and even a bit of punk. A 2012 debut album, El Playa, was followed by another album and global touring. Hi-Tide put out a third record, Teletransportación, in 2019, propelling the band through a full summer of U.S. festival dates. Another recording is due this spring.
Los Freneticos from Argentina will be making their first appearance at The Hukilau. (TheHukilau.com)
Also new for 2020 is a recently formed “surfxotica” combo, The Manakooras from Charlotte, N.C. Featuring members of surf stalwarts The Aqualads, The Intoxicators, The Penetrators and Satan’s Pilgrims, the band combines their love of exotica, surf, and Hawaiian music by employing distinctive instrumentation including lap steel guitar. The band is joining forces with Hi-Tide to release a record by the time The Hukilau rolls around.
Previously announced bands who will be performing at the B Ocean and The Mai-Kai during the rocking five days of festivities are The Intoxicators, The Disasternauts, Gold Dust Lounge, and Skinny Jimmy Stingray. Once again, King Kukulele will emcee the festivities while DJs spinning eclectic tunes will include Brother Cleve, Vincent Minervino and Magdalena O’Connell from Hi-Tide, Spike Marble of The Hula Girls, and Hukilau favorite James Brown’s Sweat from South Florida.
The bands and DJs can be found at the B Ocean on Thursday through Saturday during daily Rum Island pool parties and Friday’s High Tide Party in the hotel’s distinctive Point Room. The Mai-Kai hosts performances during Wednesday’s pre-party, Saturday’s main event, and Sunday’s finale. Performance times will be announced Feb. 15. More below:Symposiums, classes and pop-up bars
While the live performances keep the party rocking, there’s more to The Hukilau for attendees thirsty for “edutainment” covering everything from rum cocktails, to Tiki history, to vintage clothing. A new symposium, Alfred Shaheen: Iconic Hawaiian Textiles ($10), will offer a deep dive into the largest and most innovative mid-century aloha wear manufacturer. Pull Your Head Out of Your Glass! Secret Treasures of Tiki Bars Hiding in Plain Sight ($10) will offer a deep dive “to uncover the wild, weird and wonderful artifacts found in Tiki bars.”
Ayme Harrison prepares cocktails with her Death or Glory bartender Cassidy Moser during the Tiki Tower Takeover at The Hukilau 2019. She’ll teach a class in 2020 on how to make a fun and easy party punch. (Atomic Grog photo)
Previously revealed were presentations by music and Tiki historian Brother Cleve (Exotica! The Sound of Tiki, $10), rising New York City bartender Garret Richard (New Traditionalist – Can Cutting-Edge Science Revive Tiki’s Forgotten Cocktails?, $59), and The Atomic Grog’s Hurricane Hayward (How The Mai-Kai Perfected the Modern Tiki Cocktail, $59).
For the fourth straight year, The Hukilau will offer hands-on cocktail classes as part of its Okole Maluna Cocktail Academy. Students will be treated to an all-new slate of courses, such as Where’s the Proof? with bartender and Tiki ambassador Oriol Elias of Spain. Death or Glory owner Ayme Harrison will join forces with Tiki TNT owner Todd Thrasher for Punch Up Your Party – Less Work, More Fun. The most ambitious new class is My Zombie Is Killer!, a “cage match” featuring four bars competing to see who has the best Zombie cocktail. Expanding beyond rum is a new class titled Waiter! What is This Tequila/Whiskey/Gin Doing in My Tiki Cocktail? Tickets for all classes are $59. The symposiums by Richard and Hayward will also count as credit toward a diploma from the academy.
On April 20, The Hukilau announced that its 19th annual Tiki weekender scheduled for June 3-7 in Fort Laduerdale was being postponed by the coronavirus pandemic. In its place will be a series of events across the country aimed at raising money for Tiki bars devastated by shutdowns. Click the link below for more info.
In just four months, hundreds of Tikiphiles will swarm the historic Mai-Kai restaurant and beachside B Ocean Resort in Fort Lauderdale for The Hukilau on June 3-7. But first, they need to score tickets and passes for the whirlwind weekend of retro-themed festivities. UPDATE: The Surfrajettes, Eddie Angel, The Hi-Risers to headline The Hukilau 2020
Rooms at the former Yankee Clipper hotel, a famous property that dates back to the mid-century, are filling up fast. [See previous story] The Mai-Kai is already accepting reservations for its popular dinner shows on Saturday, June 6, when The Hukilau’s villagers turn out in full force and typically sell out several seatings of the Polynesian Islander Revue.
Tonight, The Hukilau will lauch an updated website around 7 p.m. Eastern time, opening up sales of multi-day passes and tickets to popular symposiums, rum tastings, cocktail and craft classes, and reserved seats for special swimshows featuring Marina the Fire Eating Mermaid in the hotel’s Wreck Bar.
The event space at the B Ocean (or “The B” as some like to call it) is more intimate than the expansive Pier Sixty-Six Hotel & Marina, home to The Hukilau from 2015 through 2019. So it would not be a bad idea to jump on passes and tickets now.
The Hukilau 2020 will be held June 3-7 at the B Ocean Resort and The Mai-Kai restaurant in Fort Lauderdale. Featuring live music and retro-themed performances, educational symposiums, vendor marketplace, rum and Tiki cocktail classes, plus 20 top Tiki bars and bartenders from around the world.
* TheHukilau.com | Facebook: Page and Group | Instagram
Many of the key performers, including the headlining bands, are being kept tightly under wraps until today’s reveal. But we were able to squeeze a few details out of The Hukilau’s master planner, Richard Oneslager, and will share what we know below. Check back later for a full preview.
Here then, are 10 things you need to know about The Hukilau 2020 as passes and tickets go on sale:
Official Hukilau 2020 artwork by Mitch O’Connell.
1. PASSES: There are several changes to the multi-day pass structure from past years to streamline and make everything a bit less confusing, Oneslager said. Gone is the Big Kahuna pass, leaving three options:
* South Seas pass (5 days): The top-tier pass with the most benefits is virtually unchanged from past years. South Seas passholders have access to all five days of the event, including Wednesday’s pre-party at The Mai-Kai. They also get free entry plus food and drinks at Thursday’s two special ticketed events, a cocktail pass for Friday’s High Tide Party, and other exclusive benefits.
* Aloha Pass (4 days): This Thursday through Sunday pass includes the Tiki Treasures Bazaar and pool parties featuring free cocktails, admission to the High Tide Party, and more.
* Beachcomber Pass (3 days): Formerly known as the Luau Pass, the change was made to avoid confusion with the special event added this year (more on that below). Beachcomber passholders receive admission Friday through Sunday, including the bazaar, pool parties, and High Tide Party.
More details on passholder benefits will be revealed on the website. Note that one- and two-day passes may not be offered later if all of the multi-day passes listed above sell out.
2. ARTISTS: The official artist for 2020 is Chicago-based lowbrow illustrator Mitch O’Connell. His flamboyant and colorful artwork can be found everywhere, from major national magazines and newspapers, to album covers of legendary bands, to major advertising campaigns, to fine art galleries around the world. His work is also popular in the tattoo world, with many of his designs appearing in two best-selling books. In addition to the 2020 promotional artwork, O’Connell is designing The Hukilau’s official mug and will likely make appearances during the event. Other artists worth mentioning are Tiki Diablo, who is once again producing distinctive barware for Okole Maluna Cocktail Academy students; and Tiki Tony, who will create a small carving for South Seas passholders.
The B Ocean Resort’s private beach will host a traditional luau on Thursday, June 4, during The Hukilau. (Atomic Grog photo, January 2020)
3. LUAU ON THE BEACH: With Pier Sixty-Six under extensive renovations for several years, The Hukilau is losing one of its signature events. Replacing the Tiki Tower Takeover, which was held in the rotating 17th floor ballroom of the space-age hotel, is something a bit more traditional and Tiki-centric. Thursday night’s headlining event is now a traditional luau on the B Ocean Resort’s private beach. Tickets will be sold a la carte, along with an option of food and/or drinks. South Seas passholders get everything included.
NOTE: The Hukilau 2020 was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. A series of online events was held in its place. The 2019 recap below was posted before the pandemic. The Hukilau is returning to a live format in September 2021.
The Hukilau’s 2020 entertainment lineup will be announced on Feb. 3, when event tickets and passes go on sale for the 19th annual Tiki weekender June 3-7 in Fort Lauderdale. While The Mai-Kai remains the nerve center of the Polynesian Pop celebration for the 18th straight year, most of the festivities will be centered at the B Ocean Resort on Fort Lauderdale Beach.
After five years as host hotel, the Pier Sixty-Six Hotel & Marina closed for a years-long refurbishment and re-imagining on the day after The Hukilau 2019. To give you a preview of what you can expect during the whirlwind weekend, following is a look back at last year’s festivities. While this Top 10 list is nowhere near complete in capturing the diversity of activities that encompassed the five-day bash, it offers a snapshot of some of the more memorable moments.
See below: Bonus cocktail recipes from the Rum Island Pool Parties Passion Fruit West Indies (Pagan Idol) | Playboy (Tiki Underground)
The Hukilau 2019 was held June 5-9 at the Pier Sixty-Six Hotel & Marina, B Ocean Resort and The Mai-Kai restaurant in Fort Lauderdale. Featuring Tikiyaki Orchestra, Tikiyaki 5-0, Surfer Joe, The Volcanics, The Hula Girls, The Intoxicators, Gold Dust Lounge, Skinny Jimmy Stingray, The Swingin’ Palms, Slowey and the Boats, King Kukulele, Brother Cleve, Marina the Fire Eating Mermaid, Ian “Rum Ambassador” Burrell, and 25 top Tiki bars and bartenders from around the world.
* TheHukilau.com | Facebook: Page and Group | Instagram Previous recap:The Hukilau 2019 photos and video from social media
Mahalo to the venues, the organizers, all the participants and (especially) all the villagers who attended. Special thanks to those who provided photos for use below. Here’s a sampling of what we enjoyed, in no particular order …
On April 20, The Hukilau announced that its 19th annual Tiki weekender scheduled for June 3-7 in Fort Laduerdale was being postponed by the coronavirus pandemic. In its place will be a series of events across the country aimed at raising money for Tiki bars devastated by shutdowns. Click the link below for more info.
Rooms at the B Ocean Resort on Fort Lauderdale Beach are filling up fast following the late December announcement that The Hukilau would be returning to the former Yankee Clipper property for its 19th annual Tiki weekender in June.
NEW:Passes and tickets for The Hukilau: 10 things you need to know
In four months, hundreds of Tikiphiles will swarm the historic Mai-Kai restaurant and beachside B Ocean Resort in Fort Lauderdale for The Hukilau. But first, they need to score tickets and passes for the whirlwind weekend of retro-themed festivities. The event space is more intimate than last year, so it would not be a bad idea to jump on tickets now. >>>> What you need to know about The Hukilau 2020
The Hukilau 2020 will be held June 3-7 at the B Ocean Resort and The Mai-Kai restaurant in Fort Lauderdale. Featuring live music and retro-themed performances, educational symposiums, vendor marketplace, rum and Tiki cocktail classes, plus more than a dozen top Tiki bars and bartenders from around the world.
* TheHukilau.com | Facebook: Page and Group | Instagram
Reservations must be made via the link on TheHukilau.com and not directly through the hotel to receive a special rate and placement in the event’s room block. Tickets and passes are scheduled to go on sale Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. Eastern time. Look for further announcements on the blog regarding the entertainment lineup.
The B Ocean Resort, a 63-year-old historic property formerly known as the Yankee Clipper, will host The Hukilau for the fifth time in 2020. (TheHukilau.com)
The Hukilau promises most of the same core features from years past. The five-day party will include the Tiki Treasures Bazaar, informative symposiums, the Okole Maluna Cocktail Academy, guest pop-up bars, pool parties, the Friday night High Tide Party at the hotel, plus the Saturday night main event at The Mai-Kai. While there will be no Tiki Tower Takeover event without the towering Pier Sixty-Six venue, the website hints at a possible beach party.
The Hukilau’s villagers were kept in suspense since the closing of the iconic Pier Sixty-Six Hotel & Marina for renovations immediately following the 2019 event last June. By the time the announcement was made on Dec. 23, pent-up demand at the appeal of the historic beachfront location caused a flurry of bookings.
The Hukilau’s room block is almost completely filled and some dates are unavailable, but more rooms should be coming into the system soon, according to Richard Oneslager, now in his fourth year as the event’s lead organizer as well as owner. When more rooms are added, there will be an official announcement.
To keep that promise, the search was obviously not taken lightly. The Hukilau’s many fans of vintage Tiki and mid-century history should be pleased with the return to the hotel that hosted The Hukilau four times before (2006, 2007, 2008 and 2013), and in recent years served as the “overflow” locale when Pier Sixty-Six filled up. With a much larger room inventory and refreshed appearance, the B Ocean is poised to host a full house of revelers this year.
Underwater mermaid swimshows in The Wreck Bar have been a staple at The Hukilau and the Yankee Clipper, now known as the B Ocean Resort, since 2007. (TheHukilau.com)
In addition to its Hukilau history, the popularity of the B Ocean Resort is tied intrinsically to Marina the Fire Eating Mermaid, who has become a retro culture fixture over the past decade after reviving the hotel’s underwater swimshows in the vintage Wreck Bar, with its porthole views of the swimming pool.
The distinctive lobby bar has long been a pop-culture phenomenon in its own right, appearing as a set piece in Hollywood movies from to Where the Boys Are (1960) to Analyze This (1999). Even as the host hotel revolved, The Wreck Bar performances by Marina and her pod of aquaticats remained a key part of The Hukilau schedule non-stop since 2007. Previous story: The Hukilau offers a deep dive into the history of porthole cocktail lounges and their mysterious mermaids
The hotel traces its roots back to 1956 (five months before The Mai-Kai opened 8 miles to the northwest) as a revolutionary resort designed to look like a steam ship. After dozens of refurbishments, large and small, that same basic exterior design remains along with the nautically themed Wreck Bar.
A vintage photo of the Yankee Clipper, reimagined in 2017 as the B Ocean Resort in Fort Lauderdale. (TheHukilau.com)
The concept of a “V”-shaped hotel that looked like an ocean liner was conceived by the Yankee Clipper’s original owner, South Florida hotelier and tourism pioneer Bob Gill, and executed by Miami architect M. Tony Sherman, who around the same time was also designing the original Tropicana resort in Las Vegas.
The $1.5 million Yankee Clipper debuted in July 1956 and was among the first hotels on the beach to remain open year-round and feature air conditioning. Among its many famous guests was another “Yankee Clipper,” baseball great Joe DiMaggio, along with his wife Marilyn Monroe. During the ’50s and ’60s, the hotel was the home of the New York Yankees during spring training.
The Yankee Clipper originally featured fine dining in the 300-seat Polynesian Room along with a stage show that pre-dated The Mai-Kai’s Polynesian Islander Revue. Over the years, both shows often shared performers before the Polynesian Room closed in 1972.
Updated June 1
Click here for updates on sold-out events, see the full schedule: NEW:THE HUKILAU 2019 – Unofficial Schedule
Due to popular demand, The Atomic Grog presents a handy-dandy schedule in spreadsheet format for all five days of the upcoming Tiki weekender in Fort Lauderdale, including lots of new info like band set times, Saturday night at The Mai-Kai and more.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL SCHEDULE
As The Hukilau fast approaches its 18th annual Tiki weekender in Fort Lauderdale in June, hotel rooms at the host Pier Sixty-Six are sold out, and the more popular symposiums and classes are filling up. But new events are still being added, including a Saturday cocktail class and Sunday symposium on the rums of The Mai-Kai hosted by The Atomic Grog.
* More below: Passes available | Special event tickets | Pop-up Tiki bars | New, upcoming
Meanwhile, news just broke that Pier Sixty-Six will be closing for a massive two-year renovation immediately after The Hukilau 2019. This news is not unexpected, and plans for a new 2020 site have been in the works. “There should be no uncertainty that we will have a great venue for 2020,” said The Hukilau’s owner/organizer, Richard Oneslager. “I do think it’s the end of an era at Pier Sixty-Six, and it is special that we get to cap it off.” See more below:Is this the last fling at Pier Sixty-Six?
Pier Sixty-Six, a landmark property developed in 1956 on the Intracoastal Waterway and home of The Hukilau since 2015, has sold out of rooms for the event. But The Hukilau organizers have lined up a great back-up option less than a mile away, directly on Fort Lauderdale Beach. The recently renovated B Ocean Resort, formerly known as the iconic Yankee Clipper, has plenty of rooms at a special rate for villagers attending the festive Polynesian Pop party.
Marina the Fire Eating Mermaid endorses her favorite rum during a swimshow at The Hukilau 2016. (Provided by Medusirena)
Marina’s special shows for The Hukilau are always among the more popular events, and capacity is limited in The Wreck bar to allow all paid attendees prime viewing. So it’s advised that you act now if you don’t want to get left out. There are three performances on the schedule, but Wednesday night’s late-night burlesque show and Thursday’s 2 p.m. show are already sold out. Tickets remain only for the 2 p.m. matinee on Friday ($20 plus service charge).
