Lei Away staycation: Festival celebrates shared language of Aloha, tiki culture and creativity in KC
September 24, 2024 | Taylor Wilmore
What began as a celebration of tiki vibes and tropical aesthetics has danced into an all-out luau that showcases authentic Polynesian traditions, culture and makers alongside local businesses and island enthusiasts, said Johnny Dawbarn.
Lei Away revelers enjoy an open air portion of the Lei Away festival within the Crossroads; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News
The three-day Lei Away 2024 festival returned this weekend to the Crossroads with events ranging from a talk on the history of rum and traditional Polynesian dances to artisans sharing their crafts and chefs rolling out island cuisine.
“We’ve had the honor of connecting with the Polynesian community here in Kansas City,” said Johnny Dawbarn, owner of tiki-themed HITIDES Coffee and one of the festival’s lead organizers. “From chefs to dancers, we’ve become close with so many talented people, and it’s been amazing to bring that creativity to the festival.”
Traditions tied to the culture run deep in Kansas City, he said, because many Polynesian families have lived in the area for decades; some are even linked to the businesses that first brought tiki-inspired trends to the city in the 1950s — a source of nostalgia for many enthusiasts today.
That’s among the reasons it was important for the Lei Away event series — now in its second year — to celebrate Polynesian culture deeply and through a variety of mediums: visual art, dance, culinary arts, and more, added Dawbarn, who also co-owns Collective Ex, a collaborative workshop and studio that houses both HITIDES and the apparel brand SewKC, with his wife, Michele.
Focused on highlighting Polynesian entrepreneurs, this year’s Lei Away featured, for example, catering by Uce Kitchen and vendors like Etevise Designs, known for hand-drawn jewelry and wood-carved wall art.
“We’re in a creative space already with the studio, Collective Ex, and it’s exciting to extend that into things beyond visual art,” said Dawbarn. “Dance, culinary arts — it’s all the same spirit. It’s a wonderful extension of creativity.”
Lei Away’s collaborations with local businesses like Kon Tiki, Torn Label Brewing Co., Tiki Bar T-Shirt Club, and Black Flamingo also worked to ensure a true blend of Kansas City talent and island vibes, he added.
Polynesian dancers share their culture through a performance at Lei Away in the Crossroads; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News
First launched over Labor Day weekend in 2023 to spotlight Kansas City’s tiki culture and the passion of local enthusiasts, Lei Away offers a staycation for revelers to enjoy a taste of the tropics in their own backyard, Dawbarn explained.
Johnny Dawbarn, Lei Away festival organizer and co-founder of HITIDES Coffee, Collective Ex and SewKC; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News
“Even though you’re not getting away to somewhere tropical, it does feel like you’re escaping,” he said.
Lessons from its debut year helped streamline this weekend’s events, Dawbarn said, adding that changes helped make the festival popular enough that it was often-times over the capacity for which organizers had planned.
“We’ve consolidated everything into one area, the Crossroads, instead of having people drive out to North KC and back,” he explained. “We also refined the events, giving more attention to the bigger ideas.”
For Dawbarn, the goal of Lei Away extends beyond helping Kansas Citians feel like they’ve slipped away to paradise, he said, noting he wants the festival to serve as a catalyst for new and meaningful connections between creatives.
“Every year, we see new friendships form, and that’s a big part of what makes this event special,” said Dawbarn. “We’re very thankful for all the players involved, and we’ll see what next year brings.”
View this post on Instagram
Featured Business
Taylor Wilmore
Taylor Wilmore, hailing from Lee’s Summit, is a dedicated reporter and a recent graduate of the University of Missouri, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Journalism. Taylor channels her deep-seated passion for writing and storytelling to create compelling narratives that shed light on the diverse residents of Kansas City.
Prior to her role at Startland News, Taylor made valuable contributions as a reporter for the Columbia Missourian newspaper, where she covered a wide range of community news and higher education stories.
2024 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
New Kansas City incubator focuses on energy startups
Kansas City now has a new sandbox to play in. Digital Sandbox KC on Tuesday announced the launch of Energy Sandbox. Similar to Digital Sandbox, Energy Sandbox aims to provide proof-of-concept resources to early-stage entrepreneurs — but this time, it will be for startups in the energy sector, rather than tech. Energy Sandbox will partner…
A festival of creativity, the Kansas City Maker Faire inspires yet again
The Kansas City Maker Faire affords an amalgam of ingenuity, nerdom and unbridled creativity What do I mean? Let me paint a picture of the first 20 minutes I spent moseying through Union Station. I waited in line for coffee with Start Wars villain Kylo Ren (ironically he enjoyed a light roast). An affectionate hippogriff nuzzled my…
Video: The Kansas City Developers Conference ‘is blowing up’
The Kansas City Developers Conference on Friday wrapped up its week of connecting techies with one another and some of the biggest ideas in technology. Jon Mills, co-director of the KCDC, and Alice Anderson, an attendee at the conference, join us for this video.
Technologists discuss what developers should be learning now
What’s the most-asked question at the Kansas City Developers Conference? According to conference organizers, it’s “What should I be learning now?” To help answer the query, Startland News curated a panel of experienced software developers, moderated by editor-in-chief Bobby Burch. Among many nuggets of information from panelists, priority No. 1 needs to be Javascript, according…