Polynesian Paradise is a professional Polynesian entertainment company specializing in the traditional and modern dances of Hawaii, Tahiti, New Zealand and Samoa. The group has been very active since their inception in 1993 and is now doing over 300 performances a year.

Hollywood party planners seem to have taken notice. In the last few years the group has performed at the movie openings for Lilo and Stitch & 50 First Dates, and at corporate events and private functions for NBC, Visa, Disney, Arnold Schwarzeneggar, and Los Angeles Mayor Jim Hahn.

The group also performs at local festivals and holds weekly classes in Polynesian dance for beginning, intermediate, and advanced level dancers.

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The New Zealand Maori Arts & Crafts Institute at Te Puia, an educational facility and tourist attraction in Roturoa, New Zealand, has been teaching the ancient art of Maori carving since 1967.

Twelve full time students study for three years at the school, under the guidance of past graduates, including master carver Clive Fugil, who attended the school’s opening session. Visitors to Te Puia can tour the school and talk to the carvers.

The students’ work is also often available for sale.

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Tiki artists with wares to sell and pinup girls collide while the Smokin’ Menehunes band provide the soundtrack.

Saturday, April 28th, 2007 • Doors open at 6PM

Goodfellas
8034 Haven Avenue • Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730
(909) 987-3005

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Each year, tiki mug maker Tiki Farm holds a contest for members of Tiki Central, an online community of tiki enthusiasts. Members are encouraged to create designs for drink vessels and a panel of judges select up to six concepts, which are actually turned into really-for-real ceramic products to be sold by Tiki Farm.

This year’s batch of winners are simply amazing. The grand prize was awarded to Tiki Central member Uncle Fun’s “Banana Boat,” shown here. And I’m excited to say the my design for a pineapple ukulele decanter made cut, squeaking in at 6th place.

The mugs will be released as part of Tiki Farm’s Spring 2008 collection.

See the winners and discuss at Tiki Central | Link to Tiki Farm

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Rob Hawes, a Maui resident and tiki enthusiast who also owns Stuck On Maui Hawaiian stickers, which I posted about before, has a great new website to help visitors find tikis scattered around the island.

MauiTikiTours has an interactive guide map with photos, descriptions of, and directions to where tiki old and new can be found on Maui. I wish I would have had this when I visited a decade ago.

Rob has also designed and produced a beautiful tiki mug in three color glazes which is available for sale on the site for $13.95 each (set of three for $34.95).

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Tiki mug maker Tiki Farm must be trying to break the record for “most fantastic mugs released in a single year;” Friday the company released their spring 2007 collection with five brand new designs.

My favorite is the “Squll,” designed by the artist “Squid,” which is reminicent of the decorated skulls I remember seeing in Adventureland on family vacations. Continuing clockwise, his three-headed handled “Triple Header” mug is also a beauty, with lots of cross-over appeal for fans of pirates as well as tiki. Last but not least is his happy-looking “Rapa Nui.”

Continuing clockwise, Artist Doug Horne, who has a line of Fender acoustic guitars coming out this year, created the gigantic, 36 ounce, brown “Huge Herman” and red, 24-ounce “ExoTiki” mugs.

Link

Update: Due to a manufacturing error, the first batch of Squll mugs came back from the factory without the green underglaze that makes the markings pop. Tiki Farm is blowing them out at only $5 each, while supplies last.

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To celebrate the release of a 3 DVD and 1 CD set on the history of the Enchanted Tiki Room and Tropical Serenade, The Magic Makers are holding “Enchanted Tiki Room: A Gathering of the Legends,” an event featuring appearances by Kevin Kidney, Wally Boag, Jeff Burke, Bob Gurr, Charles Boyer, and David Bird.

Band “The Agents of Voodoo” will play, and there will be door prizes, raffles for Tiki Room-inspired art, and tropical snacks and drinks.

Tickets are $30 each.

March 31st, 2007 • 1:00 pm • Holiday Inn
1240 South Walnut Street, Anaheim, CA 92802 | map

More information | Thanks Brian!

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