San Diego is about to get five days of tropical cocktails, poolside music and enough carved wood to make a mid-century time traveler feel right at home. Tiki Oasis returns to Mission Valley today with thousands expected to descend on the Town and Country Resort for the annual celebration of Polynesian Pop culture.
The festival is marking its 21st year in San Diego and 26th year overall, with organizers expecting about 5,000 attendees, according to Times of San Diego. Three-day tickets start at $189, while individual seminar tickets are also available.
Five Days Of Music, Cocktails And Tiki Shopping
The Wednesday-through-Sunday lineup includes a luau, live music, cocktail-making sessions, painting activities, a ukulele jam, an art show and a lamp exhibition. The official schedule also lists a 5K run, Pilates classes, book signings, a pooch parade, pool parties and late-night shows.
About 30 bands and music artists are scheduled to perform, with the event moving from exotica on Thursday into Latin, psychedelic and garage sounds later in the weekend. The festival’s 17th annual art show will feature work from more than 60 artists, while the marketplace will bring in more than 150 artisans, crafters and vendors.
San Diego’s Tiki Identity Goes Back Decades
Tiki Oasis fits San Diego unusually well because the city’s connection to the style predates the festival by generations. The San Diego Tourism Authority traces local tiki roots to the 1950s, when tropical architecture, restaurants, bars and elaborate cocktails became part of the region’s visual and social landscape.
Tiki Oasis began in Palm Springs and spent its first five years there before moving south, a decision organizers tied to San Diego’s longstanding role in tiki culture, Times of San Diego reported. More than two decades later, the gathering has become a recurring Mission Valley spectacle for longtime devotees and curious newcomers alike.
A Free Weekend Marketplace Opens The Door
Most of the festival requires a ticket, but the marketplace is free and open to the public on Saturday and next Sunday from 10 AM to 4 PM. The event’s published schedule also includes several free community activities, giving casual visitors a way to sample the scene without committing to a full weekend of rum, retro fashion and poolside revelry.
