For nine years, TiKi STiK has welcomed a diverse lineup of Ohio and out-of-state musicians and bands to share the stage in Marion County for an annual two-day live music event, held the first weekend of every August.
This year’s ever-growing TiKi STiK—which will benefit Autism Speaks—is this weekend and includes 20 artists and features Friday night headliner Flaw and Saturday night headliner Tantric.
The 3.5 acres will not only have room for tents and camping for travelers from all over the state and beyond, but it will also have food trucks, merch stations and vendors. One-day tickets are only $20 and a weekend pass is only $30. For those 10 and under, admission is free.
Tickets can be purchased from performing bands, at MVP Vapor (1603 Marion-Mt Gilead Rd, Marion, OH 43302) or digitally online here.
Event Address
4000 Larue Green Camp Road, Marion, OH 43302Event Lineup
Friday, Aug. 2 with Gates at 4pm
Doomsdayve, Illaura, Kuhmora, Artifax, Sourblood, Klokwerk E, Flaw
After Party starts at approximately 1am with CaseyXans & The Purple Gang, Mettal Maffia
Saturday, Aug. 3 with Gates at Noon
Only the Lucky Ones Die, Pink Maskerade, Dware, Dirrty Dirrt, Everything's Taken, Jawdust, Pigweed, Dead by Winter, 8lb Pressure, Hate Grenade, Tantric
In this interview with OOTB, TiKi STiK Founder & Co-Host Saretta Main discusses the past, present and future of TiKi STiK, and much more.
When did TiKi STiK start, who are the founders and how did it originate?
My family has always supported live music, rock in particular. In 2015 my mom, brother and I were having a conversation about the accessibility of these shows to people who don’t care for the bar scene, people who don’t like tight crowds and people who may have disabilities that can’t drive an hour away to see a show or don’t feel comfortable going into a larger venue. We had all experienced smaller outdoor shows, and the idea came up to try it in our own backyard. At that point I had already converted an outbuilding into “The Tiki Bar” and it became quite the popular weekend hangout for a wide variety of friends from all walks of life. We thought, what better way to support and celebrate live music than to create our own backyard event. Tiki Stik was officially brought to life in 2015 as a one-day event on a pallet stage with the amazing Bobaflex as the first-year headliner! The turnout was incredible and the positive feedback we received was awe inspiring. Families brought their children, elderly friends came with their lawn chairs, everyone came together to support and enjoy the acts of the day. We have grown to a full steel stage with a long list of national acts and several followers!
Where did the event name "TiKi STiK" come from?
The name Tiki Stik began as a joke between my brother Jay and I. We were filling Tiki torches for a “pop-up party” at The Tiki Bar in my backyard and instead of calling them Tiki torches, I called them Tiki sticks… we laughed and immediately realized we had come up with a pretty unique name. He is an incredible artist, so he was drawing drafts of how the name might look. He came up with three Tiki torches crossed over each other forming a “k”, thus the purposeful misspelling of “Tiki Stik” was created. It just looks better with no “c”.
What’s the most difficult thing about organizing this event?
Anyone who has ever organized any event knows there are several things to consider and so many details that can’t be missed. From planning the lineup and booking the bands to making careful staffing decisions and preparing the festival area, this event takes year-round planning and execution. I feel the most difficult part of organizing any event is trying to find a balance that everyone will enjoy. We try to bring musicians from many different areas of Ohio and other states together, not just for the crowd, but for up-and-coming artists to meet and collaborate with musicians who have more experience and connections. We have had acoustic performers, trap, punk, hip hop, new age metal, old school alternative, rap and even a couple cover bands. It is very challenging to make sure that everyone is satisfied each year, but we have hundreds of fans that keep coming back every year and that number continues to grow.
What’s the most rewarding thing about the event?
I feel there are several rewarding aspects of hosting this event. We choose a charity each year and any profit we make goes directly to the charity selected. For me personally, I feel that another rewarding aspect would be the stories I hear after these events. I have watched children grow up coming to Tiki Stik and they can remember crowd surfing at the very first show in 2015. I have met so many amazing people through Tiki Stik and see it not only as an event, but a reunion of friends. What could be more rewarding than knowing all your efforts turn into moments that people will remember for the rest of their lives, children finding a passion in music and deep friendships.
What are some of the features of the event and participants, businesses, sponsors involved?
This event is run by my mother Christina Maniaci, myself and a large group of volunteers that include family and friends. We have had a few local businesses sponsor the event including The Void Video Game & Hobby Shop and Old Towne Top Shelf (formerly known as Whitey’s Bar) and Green Camp Pit Stop. There are different levels of sponsorship outlined in our “Friends of Tiki Stik” brochures, all with varying perks. We began as a single day event and have expanded to a 2-day event with free camping. My mother designs the poster and club cards each year and we use a local company for printing. We stick with the Tiki theme each year. Everything from the fluorescent Tiki staff shirts, the Tiki Stik merchandise table, the stage lined with raffia skirting and, of course, a ton of Tiki torches lining the festival area. In recent years we have been able to add a green room or musician’s lounge to our event as well!
This year the event benefits Autism Speaks, why that organization? How will it be benefited?
We have an internal committee of Tiki staff that have been with us since the first year that aids in certain decisions, which charity we select is one of these decisions. We chose Autism Speaks this year because Autism is something that touches many lives, our families included. I have an uncle and a nephew who have Autism and several of my friends have children who are also affected by Autism. We try to choose a charity that people can get behind, something that has deep meaning to the people in our crowd. Each year, all profits go to the selected charity; this year it will be donated under the team name “Tiki Stik” on the Autism Speaks webpage.
Have past events benefited other organizations?
Some of the charities we have chosen in the past include Suicide Prevention and Awareness, Save 22 Veterans, The American Cancer Society and The American Heart Association. Along with these charity selections, we like to bring in personal stories. We have had special guests come on stage and talk about their experience on the impacts suicide can have on a family, a young cancer survivor who came on stage to a cheering audience and with great sadness, we have dedicated our event to those who lost their battles to heart disease, Chris “Merch Man” Simpson, a well-known member of the Ohio music scene being among them.
Who have been some of the past headliners?
We have been honored to have some amazing headliners grace our stage at Tiki Stik. A few of the past headliners have been Mettal Maffia, September Mourning, Bobaflex, Hed PE, Breathing Theory, Yung Mosh, The Lonely Ones, Losing September, Spirit Machines, Sin 7 and many more. We are super excited to be adding Flaw and Tantric to the list of headliners this year!
What is the attendance history like?
Our yearly attendance has grown over the past 9 years, with some fluctuation due to inclement weather. Our capacity is quite large given the 3 ½ acres of land we have to work with and most years we average 350 attendees.
Do you plan to continue this as an annual event in August?
We plan to continue to host this event every year on the first weekend of August as long as we possibly can. Next year will be our 10-year anniversary, which will be a huge milestone in itself!
Anything else you’d like to add?
Tiki Stik is an event that is all about bringing people together with live music, regardless of age, physical capability, genre preferences, background, career, gender, race or religion. What started as a small backyard get together has grown into not just an annual event, it has turned into a music family reunion. Attendees come from hours away to support live music, to spend time with friends and to make new connections. Watching so many friendships form over the years and so many new band connections has been an amazing experience, and we can’t wait to see what this year and every year after it brings!
Follow TiKi STiK
https://m.facebook.com/TikiBar4010/
https://www.instagram.com/tiki_stik/
https://www.visitmarionohio.com/event/tiki-stik-2024/2024-08-02/
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