For the 17th year, Strathmore’s annual UkeFest brings musicians together to learn, jam and share their love for the ukulele.
From Saturday, Aug. 9 to Wednesday, Aug. 13, UkeFest Artistic Directors Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer will lead the 2025 festival in collaboration with fellow instructors Aaron Keim, Jim Beloff, Daniel Ho and Jeff Peterson.
Workshops and Classes
Registered individuals will participate in skill-based classes and workshops on topics ranging from songwriting to performance to specific genres of music, including Hawaiian, rock and classical. Students will also have opportunities to join in on jam sessions, open mic nights, and watch showcases from experienced performers.
The instructors welcome all experience levels from confident beginner to advanced. Additionally, Ukefest invites students of all ages to join in, with previous pupils ranging from four to 85 years old.
“Our philosophy is that we want each student to leave a better player than when they came,” said Fink. “We love seeing returning students year after year, we love instigating the making of beautiful music.”
Get Connected
In addition to helping musicians improve, one of the major goals of UkeFest is providing a place for ukelele players to form social connections.
“The ukulele is the most social instrument I know. Through Strathmore Ukefest, people form friendships, bands, uke circles and create on-the-spot jam sessions where everyone is welcome,” said Fink. “Strathmore has helped build both a robust local ukulele community as well as connect ukulele communities nationally.”
Performances
Even those who do not play the instrument themselves will have the opportunity to join in the event. On Saturday, Aug. 9, the UkeFest faculty will host a showcase at Strathmore Music Center at 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $16 and can be purchased online.
Additionally, on the final day of activities, festivities will culminate in the UkeFest finale, free for the general public to attend.
Live from the Lawn
The event, held at The Guldesky Gazebo as part of the Strathmore’s Live from the Lawn concert series, begins at 7:00 p.m. with a strum along open to festival participants and audience members alike. Following this session, each faculty member will perform individually before joining together for a grand finale.
The Strathmore requests attendees RSVP online for the finale.
