World Ukulele Festival Calendar

We just discovered Patrick's Ukulele Festival Calendar at Ukuleletravels.com. 

Patrick is on an extended world excursion and has compiled a listing of ukulele festivals around the globe.

It's currently showing events through October of next year (2026).

Thank you, Patrick!

Balkans Uke Fest

Planning on being in Bulgaria in late August? Check out the Balkans Uke Fest...

Charlotte Pelgen from Germany will headline. 

Link

Iz Presentation at International 'Ukulele Fest

An update to an earlier post, here are some nice local news stories about Iz being inducted into the 'Ukulele Hall of Fame.

Story and video at KITV

And from KHON

2025 Inductees: 'Ukulele Hall of Fame Museum

The 'Ukulele Hall of Fame Museum has announced the inductees for 2025.

The first name will come as a huge surprise to almost anyone alive today. Why? Because who would have thought that he had not already been inducted into the Hall of Fame? And that artist is Israel Kamakawiwo'ole. He was and remains a giant among us and holds a position akin to royalty among the Hawaiian people. 

The second may be less familiar to 'ukulele enthusiasts who've been playing for less than 15 years. Because he left us all too soon. John King, in addition to being a master of the instrument, particularly in early Hawaiian and classical repertoire, was one of the foremost experts on the history of the 'ukulele. He and Jim Tanquada wrote the definitive history of the instrument, a copy of which belongs in every ukulele player's library.

Link

A full list of all inductees since 1997 will be found here.

Images credit: The 'Ukulele Hall of Fame Museum 

Ladies of the Frederick Douglass Community Center

From the Toledo (Ohio) Lucas County Public Library:

The ladies of the Frederick Douglass Community Center Ukulele Club line up with their ukuleles for a group portrait around 1928. The Frederick Douglass Community Association opened in 1919 to provide social and recreational opportunities for the African-American youth of Toledo.

Pleased to report that "The Doug" is still in vibrant operation today! It doesn't look like they currently have a ukulele program, so perhaps an enterprising reader from Toledo will offer to (re)start one with them!

Link

h/t Ukester Brown