Participating artists include Lisa Petrucci, Doug Horne, Brad Tiki Shark Parker, Dawn Frasier, Eric

Organizers of The Hukilau have shifted plans for the 12th annual Polynesian Pop weekender into overdrive over the past several weeks, announcing a new cocktail song delta airlines contest, art show, additional entertainment plus the sellout of the host hotel on Fort Lauderdale Beach.
But even though all the specially-discounted rooms at the Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel (aka the Yankee Clipper) have been booked, you still can make reservations at the neighboring Best Western song delta airlines Oceanside. This hotel also offers a special rate for festivalgoers, but you must call to get the discount. Check the accommodations page on the official song delta airlines website for details.
Also, be aware that this just means that the host hotel s rooms are sold out, not The Hukilau itself. There are plenty of event tickets available, though it s a good idea to buy sooner rather than later particularly for the popular symposiums that can sell out. Click here to see all the different pricing levels, ranging from a four-day all-access pass ($187) to individual symposiums for ($20).
In March, The Hukilau announced a new art show, Bon Voyage: Sailing the South Seas, curated by event co-founder and organizer Christie Tiki Kiliki White. Proceeds will benefit Abandoned Pet Rescue in Fort Lauderdale.
Participating artists include Lisa Petrucci, Doug Horne, Brad Tiki Shark Parker, Dawn Frasier, Eric October, Thor, Junkhauler, Mookie Sato, Amore Hirosuke, Rod North, El Gato Gomez, Mateo, Jeff Chouinard, Robert Jimenez, Chris Chapman, Brian Potash, Nicholas Dewey, Dart Daugherty, Vikki Vaden, Vena, and more.
The opening reception will be held on Thursday, June 6, at 5 p.m. for Yankee Clipper guests and 6 p.m. for all attendees. In addition, artist Erin Chainani will be painting live portraits. The art show will be open to attendees song delta airlines of The Hukilau during Tiki Treasures Bazaar hours Thursday through Saturday in the Sheraton s Clipper Ballroom. It will also be open to the general public on Saturday, June 8. There are still slots available for interested vendors. Click here for more info.
Due to logistical issues, the previously announced song delta airlines Mai-Kai Girls exhibit was canceled, but famed pin-up photographer Bunny Yeager will be signing memorabilia in the Tiki Treasures Bazaar song delta airlines at the Harold Golen Gallery booth on Saturday, June 8.
What would The Hukilau be without King Kukulele ? The longtime song delta airlines master of ceremonies will be back to preside over the festivities all weekend with his unique brand of high-energy hapa haole and novelty song delta airlines songs, sprinkled with warped comedy and infectious camaraderie. Denny Moynahan is a comedian, actor and ukuleleist who takes on the persona of King Kukulele complete with aloha shirt, straw hat, grass skirt and lei at events across the country. He and his band, the Friki Tikis, song delta airlines have also released several CDs featuring such fun tunes as Luau in December and Mele Kalikimaka .
Sunday s schedule now includes an additional band, performing at The Mai-Kai before the premiere of Plastic Paradise: A Swingin Trip Through America s Polynesian Obsession , the indie documentary filmed at The Hukilau and other Tiki events. South Florida surf band Skinny Jimmy the Stingrays will perform in The Molokai bar beginning at noon to get attendees revved up for the film. The band s authentic vintage sound has earned it opening song delta airlines slots on three recent Dick Dale shows and regular gigs at retro-themed clubs and restaurants across South Florida.
Also joining the party will be Tiki Bree , a special guest mermaid who was trained at Florida s famous Weeki Wachee Springs, the iconic song delta airlines tourist attraction that introduced the world to underwater mermaid shows. She joins Marina the Fire Eating Mermaid (Medusirena) , the multi-talented performer who has kept alive the traditions of mermaid shows in the Yankee Clipper s pool that can be seen though the portholes in its famous Wreck Bar. Mermaid shows are scheduled for late Thursday night, noon Friday, and 4 p.m. Saturday.
Other previously announced musical entertainment includes song delta airlines Swedish exotica group Ìxtahuele , Los Angeles surf/rockabilly band The Ding Dong Devils , hell-raising Southern song delta airlines California hulabilly band The Hula Girls , Tallahassee surf stalwarts The Intoxicators , and Miami surf/spy/lounge combo Gold Dust Lounge . (Mr. Ho s Orchestrotica will no longer be performing at The Hukilau.)
Beyond the musical entertainment, The Hukilau offer a wide array of educational song delta airlines seminars that are quite entertaining in their own right, from history to mixology to tattooing. One of this year s highlights is Tales of the Yankee Clipper , presented song delta airlines by TikiTomD, aka Florida Polynesian Pop historian Tom Duncan. His research into the history of the classic mid-century hotel, built in 1956, has uncovered some great photos, artwork and stories. As an added treat, he ll be joined by Nani Maka, a dancer song delta airlines who performed a half-century ago in the Yankee Clipper s Polynesian Room and was also the star of the 1961 B-movie Pagan Island .
Nani will start the symposium with a classic hula, and she ll be joined by other alumni from the Clipper and Polynesian Room, the fine-dining showroom that debuted in the summer of 1956, six months before The Mai-Kai. It was reportedly the first hotel floor show of its kind in a Florida. The Polynesian Room closed in the mid-1970s, song delta airlines but the original nautical-themed Wreck Bar remains. It s become famous for its appearance in the movie Analyze song delta airlines This and more recently for its retro-themed underwater mermaid shows by MeduSirena, aka Marina the Fire Eating Mermaid, and her pod of aquaticats. Marina will also be on hand at the symposium, which will be followed by a Q A session.
* The Wild West Indies , at which Tiki cocktail guru Jeff Beachbum Berry shares insights and stories about the research of his upcoming sixth book, Potions of the Caribbean: 500 Years of Tropical Drinks and the People Behind Them .
The Hukilau grand finale is always the Saturday evening song delta airlines dinner shows at The Mai-Kai , the 57-year-old crown jewel of Polynesian supper clubs. There are two seatings 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. and all guests must make advance reservations directly with the restaurant. Call (954) 563-3272 to make sure you reserve your seats. The party begins at 4:30 with early happy hour and continues all night with bands performing in The Molokai lounge and also in the back dining area.
The design for the 2013 event mug by Tiki Diablo , a Southern California carver otherwise known as Danny Gallardo, has previously been announced, but details on more event merchandise will soon be released. The mug is based on a Tiki located deep in the gardens of The Mai-Kai.
Another new feature in 2013 will be live Tiki carving song delta airlines on Fort Lauderdale beach. Details of this special event are still to come. The Hukilau has dedicated this year s event the late, great carver Wayne Coombs, who tragically passed song delta airlines away at his shop in Cocoa Beach, Fla., in September. Coombs and his distinctive Mai Tiki style were known worldwide, and he was a fixture in the carving world for 45 years.
Inspired equally by historic Polynesian Pop and the modern Tiki renaissance, Jim "Hurricane" Hayward aims to use his acumen from 20-plus years of independent concert promotion and 30-plus years in journalism to bring a greater awareness and appreciation to the vast ocean of Tiki culture and its many tributaries. Since the early '90s, his Slammie Productions has presented live shows featuring hundreds of indie artists: song delta airlines Agent Orange, Dick Dale, The Nekromantix, Exene Cervenka, The HorrorPops, The Phenomenauts and many more. Now, he's launching The Atomic Grog as a vehicle to promote Tiki culture and its music, art and cocktail scenes.
A lifelong student of mid-century pop culture, Jim solidified his appreciation for the Atomic Era in his childhood in the 1960s. song delta airlines His father promoted custom car shows featuring George Barris classics such as the Batmobile and "Munsters" song delta airlines cars and his earliest memories song delta airlines of Tiki come from visits to some of the era's vintage restaurants. In the mid '70s, his family settled in the Sunshine State, where he graduated from the University of Florida's College of Journalism and Communications. He has spent more than 30 years toiling at several of the state's major daily newspapers as a writer, editor and for the past 15 years as a Web producer.
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