5 of the MANY Highlights of This Year’s Resort -0- Rama
I love it when cool people create cool things. A perfect example is my pal Baby Doe, whom I’ve known for eons. You may recognize her name as the co-creator of the epic Tiki Oasis, the incredibly popular expo for “lovers of island Lifestyle and purveyors of Polynesian Pop”. Over the years, I’ve been in awe of the social gatherings that she and her husband Otto have built. But Baby Doe has another extravaganza worth the plane ride. Her Resort-O-Rama is a doozy, and even a little boozy!
Resort-O-Rama pays homage to mid-century design, style, and history, and it aptly takes place at the striking, very mid-century Flamingo Resort Hotel in Santa Rosa, California. The event runs from Friday October 8th through Sunday the 11th and takes over the entire resort so attendees will be totally immersed in all things mid-century.
There is a whole lot going on at Resort-O-Rama during the three-day takeover of the hotel. The lineup includes a marketplace, an art show, music, wine and cocktail tasting sessions, the “Aloha Caftan Society Stroll & Pooch Parade,” and an eclectic, utterly fascinating array of seminars led by a long list of luminaries, including Charles Phoenix and Gerald V. Casale of Devo fame. It was a challenge to narrow it down, but my brain loves a list, so I wanted to share five seminars I find particularly intriguing as a Disney and pop culture fan.
Image via D23 & the Walt Disney Family Museum
Homes That Walt Built with The Walt Disney Family Museum’s Bri Bertolaccini
Along with being the Resort-O-Rama keynote speaker, Bri Bertolaccini of the Walt Disney Family Museum will take attendees on a journey through Walt Disney’s personal residences in Los Angeles and Palm Springs, using rare photographs and footage.
Image via Resort-O-Rama
The Influence of Mid-Century Design on Disney Productions with Stephen Cargile
Imagineer Stephen Cargile will be in attendance to discuss mid-century and futuristic aesthetics in the parks, from the original 1955 Tomorrowland to the long-gone but never forgotten Monsanto House of the Future, and the modern design that made its way into films and television.
Image via The Madonna Inn
Mysteries of the Madonna Inn with CyndeLicious
I have not been shy about my love for the Madonna Inn, and I am always drawn to the lore of this unforgettable landmark. I am always eager to learn more about what makes this place oh so special.
Image via Resort-O-Rama
Bay Area Bowling: How Mid-Century Architecture Invaded the Suburbs with Chris Nichols
Chris Nichols, journalist, author, and associate editor at LA Magazine, is also the author of Taschen’s Walt Disney’s Disneyland, a book that should be in every Disney fan’s library. But Chris won’t be waxing poetic on the ways of Walt this time; his seminar will be a celebration of Bay Area bowling alley architecture, which he knows a thing or two about since he authored Bowlarama: The Architecture of Mid-Century Bowling.
Image via Visit Oakland
A Journey Through Children’s Fairyland with Master Puppeteer Randal Metz and CEO Kymberly Miller
Oakland’s Children’s Fairyland famously inspired Walt Disney when he was developing Disneyland, but there is so much more to the story. Join puppeteer Randal Metz and Children’s Fairyland CEO Kymberly Miller as they share what makes the park so incredibly special.
Visit Resort-o-Rama to book your mid century adventure here!