Tonga Hut Palm Springs Festival of Lights Parade Float 2014! WE WON AGAIN!

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T tobunga Tiki Socialite Joined: Apr 12, 2008 Posts: 1235	T tobunga Posted posted on Sun, Nov 9, 2014 12:06 AM Aloha everybody! Tonga Hut won "BEST SMALL RIG" in Palm Springs Festival of Lights Parade 2014! BIG MAHALOS to everybody who helped out! Now how are we going to top ourselves? What other categories can we win? This year the parade is on Saturday, December 6th, starting at 5:54pm. Here's a link to the parade website: http://psfestivaloflights.com We have a preparatory meeting set for 7:30pm on Wednesday, November 12th at Tonga Hut North Hollywood. We’ll discuss our plan of attack, the new designs, and what sort of tasks that will have to be tackled. Our first building party is scheduled for that following Saturday, the 15th, at a location yet to be determined. We’re re-using elements from the previous float, and we learned a lot from the last build, so we’re already ahead of the game for this year. Last year was so much fun, and our unexpected win was a a nice capper to the experience… This year should be just as much fun! Check back here for updates on times and locations for building parties. Here is a preliminary drawing showing the new elements: More illuminated tikis, a soaring A-frame and lots of tiki lamps! http://ericoctober.com [ Edited by: tobunga 2014-11-12 17:17 ] [ Edited by: tobunga 2014-11-22 10:38 ] [ Edited by: tobunga 2015-05-20 23:56 ]
D danlovestikis Grand Member (8 years) Joined: Jun 17, 2002 Posts: 9246	D danlovestikis Posted posted on Tue, Nov 11, 2014 8:41 AM Your drawing is another work of art. Wendy
T tobunga Tiki Socialite Joined: Apr 12, 2008 Posts: 1235	T tobunga Posted posted on Wed, Nov 12, 2014 5:22 PM I've updated the drawing with more accurate depiction of some of the elements, including the lettering on the sign, "Mele Kalikimaka from Tonga Hut" I'll be bringing the drawing and a prototype of the tiki lamps we'll be building to the meeting tonight!
T tobunga Tiki Socialite Joined: Apr 12, 2008 Posts: 1235	T tobunga Posted posted on Wed, Nov 12, 2014 11:25 PM Aloha everybody! Tonight's meeting was a great kick off for what's in store! We hammered out some details, and we have a designated building party location! I had a chance to create a prototype of one of the new elements for the float, a tiki lamp. Here's a photo: We will be focusing on creating these at this weekend's building parties. If you're interested in lending a hand, PM me here for the address for this weekend! First building party is on Saturday the 15th, starting at noon. And a big Mahalo to everyone who came out to the meeting tonight! See you all on Saturday!
T tobunga Tiki Socialite Joined: Apr 12, 2008 Posts: 1235	T tobunga Posted posted on Sat, Nov 15, 2014 10:38 PM Aloha everybody! Just wanted to update everyone with what we accomplished today... We started out testing all the pieces from last year's float, to make sure all the lights still worked... we only had to replace two bulbs! And then we moved on to the new elements... the focus today was the the tiki lamps that will be suspended over the center of this year's float. Here are photos of us tracing out the pieces, cutting them, and painting them up! The last photo shows the lamp sides painted and waiting to be assembled, which was when Manuel and I had to hit the road... can't wait to see how they all came out, but they looked pretty good so far! OH! No building party tomorrow... the next party will be next Saturday, the 22nd... see you then if you can swing it! Mahalos for lookin'! Yer pal, Eric October http://ericoctober.com [ Edited by: tobunga 2014-11-15 23:01 ]
K Kilaueakyd Tiki Socialite The active crater Joined: Nov 20, 2012 Posts: 126	K Kilaueakyd Posted posted on Fri, Nov 21, 2014 11:31 AM Spectacular!
B bigtikidude Tiki Socialite Anaheim,Ca. Joined: Aug 10, 2004 Posts: 9222	B bigtikidude Posted posted on Sat, Nov 22, 2014 9:32 AM what is the date for the parade? thanks Jeff(btd)
T tobunga Tiki Socialite Joined: Apr 12, 2008 Posts: 1235	T tobunga Posted posted on Sat, Nov 22, 2014 10:37 AM Hey Jeff! Thanks for asking... I just put the info in the opening post, here it is again: The parade is on Saturday, December 6th, starts at 5:45pm. Here's a link to the parade website: http://psfestivaloflights.com http://ericoctober.com [ Edited by: tobunga 2014-11-22 10:38 ]
T tobunga Tiki Socialite Joined: Apr 12, 2008 Posts: 1235	T tobunga Posted posted on Sat, Nov 22, 2014 10:39 AM We're meeting again today at noon to begin work on the A-frame and tikis! PM for directions! Mahalos! Eric
J JasonLeeSurf Member Joined: Jul 21, 2011 Posts: 192	J JasonLeeSurf Posted posted on Sat, Nov 22, 2014 11:25 AM This is gonna be awesome !
B bigtikidude Tiki Socialite Anaheim,Ca. Joined: Aug 10, 2004 Posts: 9222	B bigtikidude Posted posted on Sat, Nov 22, 2014 4:21 PM Thanks Eric. Jeff(btd)
M MadDogMike Grand Member (8 years) The Anvil of the Sun Joined: Mar 30, 2008 Posts: 11053	M MadDogMike Posted posted on Sun, Nov 23, 2014 8:34 PM Very cool Eric. I had missed this thread
J JasonLeeSurf Member Joined: Jul 21, 2011 Posts: 192	J JasonLeeSurf Posted posted on Thu, Nov 27, 2014 11:22 PM Please pass around
B bigtikidude Tiki Socialite Anaheim,Ca. Joined: Aug 10, 2004 Posts: 9222	B bigtikidude Posted posted on Fri, Nov 28, 2014 2:56 PM planning on it
T tobunga Tiki Socialite Joined: Apr 12, 2008 Posts: 1235	T tobunga Posted posted on Tue, Dec 2, 2014 4:41 PM This Saturday is the big day! Here are some more photos of the build! Hope to see everyone in Palm Springs!
H heylownine Grand Member (1 year) Agoura Hills, CA Joined: Oct 05, 2008 Posts: 978	H heylownine Posted posted on Fri, Dec 5, 2014 12:08 AM Since I won't get to see it in person in Palm Springs, I'm looking forward to some action shots from the parade...have fun out there! Kevin
T tobunga Tiki Socialite Joined: Apr 12, 2008 Posts: 1235	T tobunga Posted posted on Wed, May 20, 2015 11:52 PM Just realized these never got posted... my computer crapped out and in the mishigas of replacing it and having the replacement crap out too, I lost track of these photos. You may have seen images of the float by now, but here they are... At the staging area. Manuel is working on the volcano, Rob is trying to figure out how to conjure up wheel well covers out of thin air. Fortunately, he succeeded, since parade rules required covered wheels. This is me moments before I climbed down the ladder and tore a big hole in the seat of my pants. Did I say big? I meant to say stupidly enormous, from just below my butt almost to the waistband. And I realized that I forgot to bring the pants I was planning to wear in the evening. Good thing I'm handy with a needle & thread. GIna and Christine stringing lights on the masks Andrew graciously let us borrow. The float in all it's glory. Jason Lee! It got really windy that night. You can see the lamps swinging around in this pic. New Tiki, crazy wind-blown frond background! The moon in the background! Thanks fer lookin'! Yer pal. Eric October http://ericoctober.com [ Edited by: tobunga 2015-05-20 23:53 ]
H heylownine Grand Member (1 year) Agoura Hills, CA Joined: Oct 05, 2008 Posts: 978	H heylownine Posted posted on Mon, May 25, 2015 9:13 PM Very cool, and congratulations to the float team on the win. Kevin
M MadDogMike Grand Member (8 years) The Anvil of the Sun Joined: Mar 30, 2008 Posts: 11053	M MadDogMike Posted posted on Tue, May 26, 2015 6:46 AM ROCK ON!!! Congrats :)
C cy Tiki Socialite Gresham, Oregon Joined: Mar 10, 2011 Posts: 1666	C cy Posted posted on Tue, May 26, 2015 11:35 AM Great work on the float tobunga, the lamps my be swaying in the wind but Jason Lee's hair looks solid.
H hiltiki Tiki Socialite Hollywood, calif. Joined: Jun 10, 2004 Posts: 4256	H hiltiki Posted posted on Tue, May 26, 2015 11:37 AM Congratulations, nice job.

Pages: 1 20 replies

Tonga Hut Palm Springs Festival of Lights Parade Float 2014! WE WON AGAIN!

Now how are we going to top ourselves? What other categories can we win?