This is a driving event — plan like it
Venues sprawl across Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, and the northern suburbs — a 35-mile spread with no useful transit between them. Cluster each day's stops by city, designate a driver or budget for rideshare, and book the official tiki bus tour early: it's the one day the navigation is handled for you.
The schedule is a moving target
There's no wristband and no single box office. Most events are free walk-ins; a handful (symposium, bus tour, tastings, the Tiki Market) are ticketed via Eventbrite. The day-by-day grid firms up in the final weeks — follow @dallastikiweek and check the site before you fly.
Know your anchors from your pop-ups
Many host venues are excellent cocktail bars that go tropical for one week only. The year-round tiki rooms — 4 Kahunas (Arlington), Tarantula and ShipWreck (Fort Worth) — are the pilgrimage stops. Dallas proper currently has no permanent tiki bar since Swizzle closed in July 2025; the Swizzle crew still surfaces as pop-ups during the week.
Texas liquor law will ambush you
Bars pour until 2am, but package stores close at 9pm Monday–Saturday and are closed all day Sunday. If your room party needs rum, buy it early in the week. Grocery stores sell only beer and wine.
Late May is real Texas weather
Expect highs near 90°F, thick humidity, and a genuine chance of spring thunderstorms — May is peak severe-weather season in North Texas. Hydrate between rounds, keep an eye on the radar for patio events, and never leave your aloha wear (or your mugs) baking in the car.