Ukulele Festival Returns to Napa

Now in its fifth year, the Wine Country 'Ukulele Festival continues to bring the best in 'ukulele merriment and entertainment to the Napa Valley with concerts, live performances, workshops, and free 'ukulele lessons for kids.

The festival kicks off Friday, Sept. 7 with a once-in-a-life-time performance of “ ,” sponsored by Mya-Moe Ukuleles and featuring 'ukulele chanteuse, Janet Klein, along with Gerald Ross and the "Flea by Night Band" comprised of Fred Sokolow, Casey MacGill, and Elaine Herrick.

Joining Janet and the band on stage will be "radio" host, Jim D'Ville, and local Hawaiian songbird, Faith Ako. Audience members are invited to keep their ukuleles handy for a mass finale with the band.

The action moves to the on Saturday, Sept. 8 and Sunday Sept. 9, at 10 a.m. with a festival marketplace displaying a full range of 'ukuleles and related accessories, jewelry, and more.

The consignment shop, Festival Flea Market, gives folks an opportunity to bring in their tired, lonely, and old 'ukuleles to possibly sell or exchange. 

The festival stage, hosted by Andy Andrews, begins at 11 a.m. each day and will feature such 'ukulele luminaries as Daniel Ho, Steven Espaniola, Faith Ako, Gerald Ross, Jim D'Ville, Fred Sokolow, Casey MacGill, Sarah Maisel, the Paul Hemmings Uketet, and many more.

There will also be open mic opportunities and audience participation.

Free lessons for kids, courtesy of Ohana Music, will be held at 1 and 2:30 pm. 

Luthier Rick Turner will be on hand building a complete 'ukulele from start to finish over the course of the weekend and will be making repairs and answering questions at the same time. 

The 'ukulele (pronouced oo koo lay lay) is enjoying a modern resurgence among young and old alike, as it sheds its Mainland reputation as a quirky, if not annoying, instrument and international artists such as James Hill and Jake Shimabukuro take it to new heights.

Today, many see it as a portal that only happy people can pass through. Groups of ukulele players are springing up all over the country providing opportunities for people of all ages, backgrounds, and levels of skill, to make music together.

The Wine Country Ukulele Festival is a celebration of the instrument, the music, and the camaraderie it inspires.

The cost to attend the festival is free, though there is a fee charged for ukulele workshops held throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday. 

Tickets for are $25, $35, and $50 and can be purchased through the festival website at www.winecountryukefest.com.

The $50 tickets include the at (1000 Main Street, Napa) with wines by Guilliams Vineyards and 94574 and tidbits by Redwood Hill Farms, From Napa, and Coonrad's.

Tickets can also be purchased at the Napa Valley Opera House box office, or by calling 707-226-7372.

For more information about the festival, please visit the website at www.winecountryukefest.com

About Janet Klein: From her sleek, bobbed hair, to her authentic 1930s attire, and all the way down to her tapping toes, Janet Klein, might have stepped straight out of a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Her repertoire of obscure, lovely, funny, and naughty songs from the 1910s, 20s, and 30s, are coyly performed with an engaging smile; a clear, crooning voice; and a beautiful 'ukulele with a Japanese motif. Gatsby would have been enchanted. 

About The Flea by Night Band: The Flea by Night Band features some of the finest multi-instrumentalists from across the country, including Gerald Ross on 'ukulele, rhythm guitar, and lap steel; Fred Sokolow on 'ukulele and banjo; Casey MacGill on vocals, cornet, piano, and 'ukulele; and Napa local Elaine Herrick, on bass.   

About Daniel Ho:   Born in Hawaii, Daniel Ho was swathed in Hawaiian music from an early age and is, today, a celebrated musician, producer, singer/song writer, arranger, composer, engineer, and record company owner. He has received three Na Hoku Hanohano awards, fifteen Hawai'i Music awards, six consecutive GRAMMY awards, and a GRAMMY nomination for Polani, the first 'ukulele album in music history to ever receive one.  

About Mya-Moe Ukuleles: Proprietors Char and Gordon Mayer have built close to 600 ukuleles for discriminating buyers since opening their shop in in White Salmon, Oregon in 2008. Their instruments are played by some of the finest musicians in the country including Eddie Vedder, Dave Matthews, Jerry Douglas, James Hill, Jim D'Ville, and Gerald Ross.

About Ohana Music: Ohana music, producer of fine, affordable ukuleles, has been a sponsor of the festival since its inception and continues to offer invaluable support to the festival's efforts to put ukuleles in the hands of as many children as possible. 

Elaine de Man is producer of the Wine Country Ukulele Festival. To share your ukulele photos and videos, click the camera icon.

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