Quick Look
Seminar Schedule

  • Fashion historian Dave Temple will share an overview of the history of hats and how they are made, and provide tips for wearing hats and finding hat shapes that suit you. To cap off the seminar (tee-hee), you’ll decorate your own keepsake sunhat! Sewing experience is nice but not necessary.

  • Learn about the world of architecture through the feminist lens of CyndeLicious’ all-seeing eye! Sexitecture envelops your body, delights your senses, and tickles your fancy! CyndeLicious will take you on a tour of historic buildings designed by women architects, including Julia Morgan, Mary Colter, and Lillian Rice.

  • Join this lively conversation and how-to guide for men who dress to impress. Co-hosts and fashionistas Marshall Shore and MT Kahuna will share their own unique Tiki style secrets for aloha wear essentials, such as cabana sets, kaftans, aloha shirts, and other accessories. They will highlight cuts, fits, textiles, designers, and labels, and will share resources for purchasing vintage, reproduction, and bespoke styles. Seminar includes a makeover for one lucky audience member!

  • Rum is the undisputed king of tropical cocktails, but a wide world of other spirits also play major roles in delicious tropical cocktail recipes. Explore all manner of spirits outside the world of rum and their application to the world of tropical cocktails. Both common and esoteric international spirits will be showcased. Pulling from Kyle Rioux’s upcoming book, Booze Without Borders, attendees will receive take-home recipes to experiment with their own rum-less but still boozy tropical cocktails.

  • Love tropical cocktails and planet Earth? You're in luck - Tiki Oasis has handpicked the tastiest sustainable spirits, rum and beyond. You'll leave this sit-down event with your new favorite eco-friendly tipples and your own tasting glass. To help reduce single use plastics, guests are provided with and get to keep a reusable glass straw courtesy of Surfside Sips!

  • This documentary film portrait of artist Bosko Hrnjak follows him from his formative years growing up among the Tiki apartment buildings in Los Angeles, to his unsung pioneering work as the first individual to revive the lost art of carving Tikis and sculpting Tiki ceramics. Featuring recently-discovered, rare archival material and Q&A with Bosko Hrnjak.

  • Embark on a journey of self-discovery with MeduSirena, the Fire-Eating Mermaid, as she delves into the experiences and influences that shaped her remarkable performance catalogue. From the early days at the Hawaiian Inn in Daytona to the iconic Mai-Kai and beyond, be inspired by the story of how she became a pioneer of the modern 'Mermaid Movement' and beyond.

  • Let's get crafty with artist Eric October! Learn step-by-step how to create a Tiki-inspired wall hanging that doubles as a display for collectible pins and buttons. Walk away with a display for your home Tiki bar.

  • Think you know everything about rum in a Mai Tai? Prepare to have your assumptions challenged. While the first Mai Tai was born with long-aged pot-still Jamaican rum, over the decades the Trader used rums from various islands and styles to produce Mai Tais for different purposes. Learn how the rums and recipes for the Mai Tai evolved over the years, and how changing the rum can make your Mai Tai more palatable for your guests.

  • Love tropical cocktails and planet Earth? You're in luck: Tiki Oasis has handpicked the tastiest sustainable spirits, rums, and beyond. You'll leave this sit-down event with your new favorite eco-friendly tipples and your own tasting glass. Plus, to help reduce single-use plastics, guests will be provided with their very own reusable glass straw to use and then take home, courtesy of Surfside Sips!

THURSDAY AUGUST 1ST

  • Get your body moving in this early morning stretch class. El Vez will lead you through a gentle warm-up that will wake you up and get your body, mind and SOUL ready to take on the rest of the Tiki Oasis weekender! 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…. let’s go!! {Free Event}

  • This is a TWO DAY session. MeduSirena the Fire Eating Mermaid is a renowned photographer known for her ability to make anyone look great underwater! On DAY ONE you learn as a group how to relax and pose underwater. For the first day wear something comfortable to move around in underwater! DAY TWO will be scheduled with you individually between 8:30-11 am on Saturday where each session attendee will be photographed! The session includes one edited photo in one outfit. There will also be an option to purchase additional photos.

  • A hands-on vintage hairstyling tutorial to put the UP in Up-Do! In this course, Miss Holly Dawn will go over three classic vintage hairstyles: a classic brush out, incorporating wiglets, and a classic up-do. Together, we can find a style that looks great, suits you, and most importantly, gives you the confidence to achieve these styles on your own.

  • A sneak peek into Sven Kirsten’s new tome to be published this fall. Together with Palm Springs modernism expert Pete Moruzzi, Sven is currently penning the ultimate treasure trove of anecdotes and images depicting establishments that strived to recreate Polynesia in the desert. See how primitivism and modernism mingled under the California desert sun!

  • Warm-up those pipes and join us for a sing-a-long with our very own Mayor of Kaunakakai, the one and only King Kukulele. You’ll not only learn how to pronounce humuhumunukunukuapua’a, but sing it too! All ages and singing abilities are welcome and encouraged!

  • Discover the art of exotic floral design with renaissance woman, Atalanta Jackson. In this immersive class, you'll have the opportunity to learn the secrets of creating wearable tropical flowers, including a a breathtaking tropical corsage, infused with vibrant colors and delicate scents. With Atalanta's guidance, you'll explore the intricate details of floristry, from selecting the perfect blooms to arranging them in a way that will dazzle the eye. Wear your artistic creation all weekend long!

  • If ever there was a common denominator between Hawaiian and Country music, the steel guitar is it. Join Tiki veteran and music historian, Jeff Chenault, on a wild west ride into the instantly recognizable sound and fascinating world of the steel guitar. Sol Hoopi, Roy Smeck, Jerry Byrd, Speedy West, Alvino Rey, Herb Remington, Bernie Kaai Lewis, and Pete Drake are some of the creative steel guitar forces whose influences are still heard around the world today!

  • Join San Francisco's Sweethearts, The Devil-Ettes, to learn about historic Go-Go dance legends WHILE you learn to shimmy and shake. A combo history and dance class, participants will be led through a gentle warm-up, taught a fine selection of 1960s style go go moves, and walk away with knowledge of the California Go-Go movement and dancers of the 1960s! Grab your water bottle, wear comfortable clothing (go-go boots optional), and get ready to dance The Swim, The Pony and The Frug.

  • Lamp artist Patrick Thompson will walk you through this comprehensive Tiki lamp building class where attendees will learn the basics of lamp concept and design and assemble their own ready-to-hang lamp!

  • Based on Ken Bruce's book Before the Birds Sang Words, this seminar will take a peek at the genesis and evolution of Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room, the revolutionary Tiki-infused Audio-Animatronic musical revue that's been delighting audiences at Disneyland for over 60 years. The seminar will also explore the contributing influences and passions of the man who spearheaded it — in turn becoming one of Walt Disney's most personal projects.

  • Sponsored by California Rum Festival

    Featuring Diamond Reserve Rum, Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin, Ko’Hana Rum, Liquid Alchemist Natural Cocktail Syrups, Myrtle Bank Rum, Planteray Rum, Starward Australian Whisky, and More TBA!

    The Friday and Saturday Tropical Tasting sessions will be different! Curated by Tiki Oasis, guests enjoy a spirited flight of guided tastings of some of our favorite brands (and some NEW ones too!). After the sit-down portion of the event guests will embark on a journey of one-on-one tastings to further explore the unique collection of rum and other spirit brands. Admission includes a collectible tasting glass that guests may keep. 

  • Get ready for a sensory journey through the intertwined histories of spices and rum. Led by seasoned mixologist Tiki Lindy, participants uncover the medicinal origins, cultural narratives, and innovative applications of spices in modern mixology. From ancient healing rituals to contemporary flavor explorations, the seminar illuminates the diverse palette of possibilities for incorporating spices into rum-based cocktails. With hands-on demonstrations and tasting experiences, unlock the secrets of crafting tantalizing libations that pay homage to the exotic allure and vibrant heritage of spices and spirits.

  • Legs for Days! Wear your cabana suit and strut around the pool. Community FREE Event.

  • Learn to play the ukulele in one day! Join Steve Conrad and Juliet Frew for a strum and sing session where you will learn chords, strums, and fingerpicking styles for simple songs. No experience is necessary, but please bring a ukulele! {Free Event}

  • Entertainer, promoter, self-taught artist, musician, Tiki bar owner and all-around wildman Skipper Josh and his Go Go Dancer/Fashion Designer/DJ partner, Babzotica, take you on an exciting journey to the out-of-the-way islands of Tanna (Vanuatu), Atiu (Cook Islands), Huahine (Society Islands), and the Marquesas. Through photos, personal sketches, and anecdotes of crazy adventures, the Skipper will regale you with his discoveries that include local carvers at work and amazing Tiki architecture in unusual places.

  • Woodworker and bartender, Kelly "Old Man" Merrell, will provide a demonstration of basic woodworking skills that are applicable for a home lounge or Tiki bar. Participants will learn about his design process, how to approach design for their own projects, and how to go from idea to finished product. Attendees will be given a step-by-step guide and all the tips-and-tricks to build a bar-tool caddy for their very own Tiki bar oasis.

  • Sponsored by California Rum Festival

    Featuring Diamond Reserve Rum, Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin, Ko’Hana Rum, Liquid Alchemist Natural Cocktail Syrups, Myrtle Bank Rum, Planteray Rum, Starward Australian Whisky, and More TBA!

    The Friday and Saturday Tropical Tasting sessions will be different! Curated by Tiki Oasis, guests enjoy a spirited flight of guided tastings of some of our favorite brands (and some NEW ones too!). After the sit-down portion of the event guests will embark on a journey of one-on-one tastings to further explore the unique collection of rum and other spirit brands. Admission includes a collectible tasting glass that guests may keep. 

  • To keep the art form of Tiki drinks and culture alive, adherents must tip a hat to tradition while remaining open to new influences. This seminar explores ingredients used in tropical cocktails, including non-rum spirits, and current trends in flavors and regional ingredients, such as Amaro. Adam Rains and Nick Brink provide examples of the flavors and ingredients being used today and give audiences a peek into what’s ahead for tropical cocktails.

FRIDAY AUGUST 2nd

  • This yoga class will create a beautiful flowing sequence, setting you up for a wonderful Tiki Oasis day! Pairing breath to movement will give you a feeling of unification in your mind, body, and spirit. Through stretching, opening, strengthening, and alignment, this class strives to help you become in-tune with your body. {Free Event}

  • What do Dave Brubeck, The Beach Boys, and The Doors have in common? They are facets of the California Sound. But what is the California Sound? Is it the sweeping film score of the 1930s Golden Age of Hollywood? Or the breezy Cool Jazz and ersatz Tiki sound of the '40s and '50s? What about Surf Music? Or Folk-Rock? Or Psychedelia and the Haight-Ashbury sound? Does California music have to be ABOUT the state of California? Or even made by artists FROM California? This seminar explores the subject from these and other angles, discovering a throughline of imagination, novelty, and experimentation that inspired fans and artists alike around the world.

  • Rolly Crump (1930-2023) is a Disney Legend—he even had his own window on Main Street, USA! But many people do not know that he was also a prolific artist beyond his Disney work. His son Christopher Crump and special guest, Chris Nichols (Los Angeles Magazine) will present highlights of Rolly’s distinguished career and provide those in attendance with some of the Rolly Magic. The book The Great Crump Presents His Magic will be available for purchase.

  • Moderated by Tiki Lindy, this panel discussion includes the most influential Women in Tiki today. This seminar highlights pioneers in history, mixology, Tiki events, and entrepreneurs and celebrates their impact on the Tiki culture we know today. Each panelist will shares insights into their groundbreaking contributions, from crafting innovative libations to organizing unforgettable events and establishing successful ventures. The panel will engage in dynamic discussions, explore the fusion of tradition and innovation, and shed light on their journey, challenges, and triumphs in shaping the Tiki landscape. With expertise, passion, and creativity, these trailblazing women inspire and empower others to carve their paths in the ever-evolving world of mixology and tropical indulgence. Featuring Eve Bergeron (Trader Vic's), Baby Doe (Tiki Oasis), Shannon Mustipher (Author), and Marie King (Beverage Director Don the Beachcomber).

  • Steve Conrad and Juliet Frew are back at it. This time they’re teaching us dances from the Big Band Era! Learn the steps of East Coast and Western Swing. No experience necessary, so complete beginners are welcome. No need to come with a partner to participate. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes that allow you to move on the dance floor surface.

  • Step aboard the S.S. Tonga as we dive headfirst into the mesmerizing history of the world-famous Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar! Since 1945, this themed restaurant and bar has been a go-to destination for San Francisco locals and visitors alike. Get ready to unravel the secrets behind the transformation of the Fairmont Hotel’s pool into the ultimate hub for an ocean liner-themed bar, evolving gradually into the beloved tropical paradise we know and adore today. Discover how the Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar defied extinction in the early-2000’s, emerging even more popular than ever before.

  • Be inspired by desert life and culture with Julio "Jules" Gutierrez, AKA Chuntikis. Chuntikis will share his knowledge of spirits from the desert, including agaves, bacanora, sotol, and more. He will discuss the unique tastes of desert spirits and share tips about how to use them in delicious tropical cocktails. As a first generation Mexican-American with roots descending from the Sonoran Desert, this taste adventure will include suggestions of desert locations to visit where you can find your own Tiki oasis.

  • The Friday and Saturday Tropical Tasting sessions will be different. Interact with makers representing new products and some of our old favorites. During this sit-down tasting event, Tiki Oasis has curated a unique collection of rum and other spirit brands that go well in tropical cocktails! Admission includes a tasting glass.

  • Curious about the remodel of the legendary Mai-Kai Restaurant? Want to know more about how Don the Beachcomber is being re-envisioned as a contemporary but classic version of “the greatest Tiki bar on earth”? Join Justin Peterson and Tom Allsmiller, Creative Directors of Don the Beachcomber and the Mai-Kai Restaurant, for an inside look at the art, design, and creative process of building these legendary Tiki bars. Enjoy samples of Don the Beachcomber and Mai-Kai libations created by Don the Beachcomber Beverage Director, Marie King.

  • Join us for the annual Tiki Oasis Uke Jam! There is no fee to join in, and don’t worry about being experienced in your playing, just bring a ukulele. You never know who will stop by!

  • Slip on your favorite Aloha caftan, pin a flower in your hair, and join the Aloha Caftan Society Caftan Parade as we stroll and strut! Community FREE event.

  • Take a deep dive into the rise and fall of a once-majestic Polynesian restaurant — The Trade Winds Polynesian Restaurant in Ventura County, California. With its soaring A-frame entrance, lake with a full-size Chinese junk, and over 50 carved Tikis scattered across 10,000 square feet, the Trade Winds had connections to Oceanic Arts, movie studio set designers, and Sawyer architects — designers of many well-known Tiki bars, including the Luau, Don the Beachcomber, the Lanai, and the South Seas.

  • A&W Root Beer. Foster’s Freeze. IHOP. Der Wienerschnitzel. See’s Candy. Jack in the Box. You name the American food icon, and chances are its roots are in California. Food historian and chef George Geary tells the remarkable stories of the early 20th-century food startups that captured America’s hearts and stomachs with burger joints, diners, fast food, and restaurants.

  • In the spirit of this year's Tiki Oasis theme, we will be going west with Nathanael West, reading his 1939 classic about California dreaming and Hollywood scheming: Day of the Locust. Admired by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Dorothy Parker, and Dashiell Hammett, Day of the Locust continues to influence American writers, artists, and culture. No novel more perfectly captures the nuttier side of Hollywood, reflecting the follies, scandals, and the lunacies of an entire nation. {FREE EVENT}

  • Eve Bergeron and Beachbum Berry take you on a jaw-dropping journey of Tiki titan, Trader Vic! With never-before-seen photos and previously untold tales of his early years, including unlocking tropical drink secrets in Cuba, Jamaica, and Trinidad, and his glory years — inventing the Mai Tai and Scorpion while forging an empire of 25 restaurants. His legacy has been kept alive through the cocktail Dark Ages and into today’s Tiki revival by the dedication of his family and his fans.

  • The Friday and Saturday Tropical Tasting sessions will be different. Interact with makers representing new products and some of our old favorites. During this sit-down tasting event, Tiki Oasis has curated a unique collection of rum and other spirit brands that go well in tropical cocktails! Admission includes a tasting glass.

  • Join David "Dr. Skipper" Marley and Trevor Kelly for a live recording of their popular podcast "The Jungle"! This will be a fun filled hour of Disney comedy and wild stories. We invite you to join the party and ask them questions about the park, especially the Jungle Cruise, or any topic that comes to mind.

SATURDAY AUGUST 3rd

  • Create lasting memories for your tots with the annual Tiki Oasis Tiki Tot Tour. The kids will have a blast as they tour the resort grounds with King Kukulele meeting up close and personal with many ‘Tiki’ friends. Every year this event features many (secret-to-the-tots) Tiki celebrities!

  • A Celebration of the World’s Most Famous Farm! Start jamming the berries, frying the chicken and panning for gold. Knotts Berry Farmland is Charles Phoenix’s BIG RETRO slide show extravaganza celebrating Walter and Cordelia Knott’s landmark berry farm and chicken dinner restaurant that blossomed into Ghost Town, America’s first theme park. Experience the backstory and glory of the bountiful farm’s evolution from the berry beginnings, the worth-waiting-in-line-for fried chicken served with all the trimmings, Ghost Town’s legendary attractions, characters, curiosities, saloons, shows, shops, and the big, juicy boysenberry that inspired it all! Your Knott’s Berry Farm lovin’ spirit will soar like never before.

  • In the early 19th century, Parisian artists influenced by Oceanic and African art created a new style called Avant-Garde. Later, this style evolved into the Mid Mod sculptural shapes of amoebas and boomerangs favored by artists such Calder and the Eames. All of these artists were Tiki collectors, from Matisse to the sculptor Barbara Hepworth, and Cammo has the photographs to prove it! Prepare to take a deep dive into the lurid stories behind these early Tiki-influenced artists. Age 18 and over is suggested.

  • If we really break it down, there are only seven tropical cocktails. Bartending is NOT rote memorization, it is math and substitution. Once you know this trick, you can unlock a thousand variations to create your own cocktails, figure out other people's cocktails, and improvise a cocktail with the ingredients you have. Unlock rum rhapsodies using the Punch Formula. Even with a modest, 10-bottle bar, you can make a multitude of drinks.

  • Join San Diego craft pioneers ToshWerks in this hand-on lesson to create an Exotic Macrame Plant Hammock — a unique and sustainable display for your favorite houseplants! Participants will choose from a wide variety of vintage macrame cords and learn introductory knots to create your very own one-of-a-kind functional piece of art. Then we'll add a beautiful tropical plant in a real coconut shell to complete your design — a perfect addition for your home or Tiki room!

  • There was a time when Los Angeles was being designed by idealists and Modernists as a Space Age version of Rome during the Empire. Beginning with architects John and Donald Parkinson, then Welton Becket and Associates after World War II, there seemed to be a vision for how Los Angeles was SUPPOSED to look. Great weather, Googie coffee shops, and LA's roadside vernacular inspired a new kind of city where there was far more than one center.

  • Presented by the Tiki Oasis Diversity & Inclusion Council. An interactive panel discussion focused on Latinidad in the Tiki community. Gain new perspectives from the Latinx community and encourage a better understanding of the cultural heritage of a diverse group of people that encompasses many regions and countries including indigenous and Afro-Caribbean people. Hosted by Peggy Pineapple & Michelle Perez.

  • The Tiki Oasis 10th Annual Bartenders Battle will pit some of the best bartenders in San Diego against each other in a no-holds-barred, head-to-head cocktail throwdown. Sample some of the best, most innovative Tiki cocktails in San Diego while you cheer on your bartending champion. They all may battle but only one can win!

SUNDAY AUGUST 4th