Alohana Spring 2022—the fifth annual Palm Springs celebration of tiki culture—is set to take place on Sunday, April 17, at the Palm Springs Cultural Center. A contraction of the Hawaiian words Aloha (love and fellowship) and Ohana (extended family, which can include friends and other important social groups), the Alohana festival is all that and more! A fun homage and lifestyle celebration of Polynesian culture, mumus, hula, live entertainment, food and DJ Mod GIRL spinning some tiki tunes. The cohesive narrative and movement encompassing architecture, design, fashion and lifestyle will be on display, enticing both casual tiki aficionados and hardcore collectors and devotees. A Polynesian Village environment emerges, with artists showcasing their work, vendors selling vintage Hawaiian clothing and the must-have vintage Hawaiian shirts. You will also enjoy Polynesian carvings, vintage collectables, tiki statues, rattan furniture, barware, jewelry and many makers who have Polynesian-inspired merchandise. Kūhai Hālau Hula Troupe of Palm Springs will dance, and as always, provide a hula lesson so the audience can join in. You can look forward to experts giving a talk about Tiki Culture, an art show by Danny Heller, and the entire event is an ebullient exercise in cultural appreciation.
The cult movement—popular since the 1940s—has had a few revivals over the years, and it is a perfect complement to desert life. The idea of sun, fun and an endless vacation vibe—with the added texture of escapism—is more popular than ever. Across the country, most major cities have their own special brand of tiki bars, but Palm Springs has taken the fantasy style to a new level. The Reef, The Bootlegger and the Tonga Hut, as well as numerous architectural nods at local motels, hotels and modern homes, makes Polynesian pop popular in the Coachella Valley. Many locals dress the part regardless of the time of year. Cocktail culture and the passionate collectors of tiki mugs have also heightened the tiki spirit. For years, tiki mugs could only be found in their derelict state: dusty and cheap, dug out of the attic or at a garage sale. Since the 90s—when the internet and eBay phenomenon began—the once kitschy tchotchkes are now fetching higher and higher prices.
Rory Snyder, who owns The Reef Bar at Caliente Tropics Hotel, says he loves “the self mocking campiness of tiki culture” and the hedonistic celebration of a mythical version of the 1950s, full of grass skirts and ukuleles.” He got into the mix as a casual collector, and slowly his hobby morphed into a passion project. Visions of tikis dance in his head, and now his former side interest fills his days so he can “really dork out.”
Sven Kirsten, a German cinematographer, author of the authoritative The Book of Tiki and a self described “visual junkie” is more of a purist. A part-time resident of Cathedral City, he says he was “addicted to the steady influx of eye candy and was fascinated by the carved idols,” and dove headfirst into all that is Polynesian Pop. Kirsten says it has become somewhat of a cliché that after World War II, US soldiers stationed in the South Pacific returned home with tales of trees loaded with exotic fruits, sleepy lagoons, white-sand beaches and gorgeous people wearing grass and feathers as they danced half-naked during all-night orgies of food and music. Nonetheless, the first wave of tiki love came from the 40s thru the 60s, meshing well with both hippie and surf culture. Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific, which premiered on Broadway in 1949, and Hawaii’s statehood in 1959 cemented the American fascination with all things tiki. From bars to bowling alleys, tikis—the carved wooden and stone statues from across the Pacific—found their way into every hotel lounge and suburban living room. The 70s saw a slow burn of tiki culture, but the taste police largely felt it was cheesy and somewhat lowbrow. Who can forget the Brady Bunch Hawaii episodes and the notorious native taboo idol of evil tiki? There was a revival in the 90s, as children who had seen their parents embrace the style rediscovered how funky and multi-faceted the tiki scene could be. Now—even with a societal attention to the traumas created by colonial history and cultural appropriation—most collectors and revelers enjoy the retro spirit, and feel they are paying homage; choosing to focus on the love and appreciation for the cohesive style. The cult of tiki is a movement, a longing for the idea of an exotic locale and all that is wrapped up in the tiki orbit.
Alohana, produced by Mindy King of the Palm Springs Vintage Market, with co-producers Maureen Thompson, Tim Rains and Michael Green of the Palm Springs Cultural Center, is a crowd-pleasing, colorful, jam-packed event. Come for the drinks, the show, the retro vibe and to hang 10 with people who treasure all things tiki. An official ALOHANA tiki mug will be available at the event, with or without a cocktail! So get ready for the caftan and mumu parade, fill your tiki mug with a freshly mixed Mai Tai and join your chosen Ohana for fun, education and escapism.
Alohana Spring 2022
SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2022 10AM-4PM
Palm Springs Cultural Center
