Festival The Great Minnesota Uke Gathering/Minnesota Bluegrass Fall Jam, Nov 10-12, '23

[TimWilson]

Following a post by mjh42 on this thread, I wanted to draw everyone's attention to a pair of events included in a single ticket, The Great Minnesota Uke Gathering (GMUG) and the Minnesota Bluegrass Fall Jam (MBFJ). You can find all the details here, including information about hotel discounts for people traveling to the Twin Cities area for the events (West Plymouth, MN to be specific).

You might want to start by getting a load of the killer lineup of instructors, with lots more information to be posted soon. Maybe some of you good folks from that part of the world can update us with news as it emerges, and we'll try to do our part here.



As a reminder, if you've got an event -- festival, uke jam, performance by yourself or with a group -- be sure to post it here! We'll be launching a calendar soon, and we want EVERY EVENT ON THE PLANET to be on it!

Mahalo,
Tim
Mod

 

[GreatPotoo]

I'll have to consider this Tim! I had no idea. That would be something. Putting thinking cap on...

Also, I was looking for a store in the Twin Cities with a good selection of ukuleles. I didn't find one online. Not a good one anyway. I don't think there any close enough to go visit the instruments. Thought you might have a lead for MN? Thanks, Tim!

 

[TimWilson]

Thought you might have a lead for MN? Thanks, Tim!

I've visited over 40 states along the way, but alas, MN isn't one of them yet! So no leads from me, I'm afraid. Maybe ask in the Uke Talk forum?

 

[UkeStuff]

I'll have to consider this Tim! I had no idea. That would be something. Putting thinking cap on...

Also, I was looking for a store in the Twin Cities with a good selection of ukuleles. I didn't find one online. Not a good one anyway. I don't think there any close enough to go visit the instruments. Thought you might have a lead for MN? Thanks, Tim!

We don’t have a single ukulele specialist in the area; most of the local stores carry the standard brands at $250 and under; Willie’s Guitar does order Kamaka, KoAloha, Martin and Magic Fluke. You can see their upper end inventory online.

One of the local stores, Groth Music, sells a number of brands, but did stock Kala Elites for a while, and they just didn’t sell. They ultimately had a fire sale and cleared out all of them at or under store pricing one Friday when there was a uke jam there (they no longer host the uke jam).

We do have a very active ukulele community with a number of different jams per week—but stores are not our forte.

The closest ukulele specialist would be Aloha City or Ukulele Station America (Oregon Music Garage) in Illinois.

 

[TimWilson]

We do have a very active ukulele community with a number of different jams per week

Can you provide some links? I really am trying to gather as many of these as I can to provide the best possible resources to support all local events -- especially uke clubs and jams! Festivals are once a year, but jams are forever!

Thanks for anything you can point me to!

 

[GreatPotoo]

We don’t have a single ukulele specialist in the area; most of the local stores carry the standard brands at $250 and under; Willie’s Guitar does order Kamaka, KoAloha, Martin and Magic Fluke. You can see their upper end inventory online.

One of the local stores, Groth Music, sells a number of brands, but did stock Kala Elites for a while, and they just didn’t sell. They ultimately had a fire sale and cleared out all of them at or under store pricing one Friday when there was a uke jam there (they no longer host the uke jam).

We do have a very active ukulele community with a number of different jams per week—but stores are not our forte.

The closest ukulele specialist would be Aloha City or Ukulele Station America (Oregon Music Garage) in Illinois.

Thank you, @UkeStuff !

I guess I'll check out Willie's the next time I head down to see my kids. Too bad about Groth. I was up in Duluth and found out about their uke group and the one in Two Harbors just before I moved south again.

This is all new to me. Didn't know we were so limited in MN. Stay cool out there today! And thank you.

 

[UkeStuff]

Can you provide some links? I really am trying to gather as many of these as I can to provide the best possible resources to support all local events -- especially uke clubs and jams! Festivals are once a year, but jams are forever!

Thanks for anything you can point me to!

Here you go: https://www.bluegrassfun.com/

 

[mjh42]

Cadenza Music carries a variety of accessories for students and musicians. — Cadenza Music

Cadenza Music offers instruments, guitar accessories, violin & other bowed instrument accessories and sheet music. Call 651.644.3611 or email us at: notes@cadenzamusic.com

cadenzamusic.com

Cadenza Music in St. Paul, MN also has a selection of Ukulele's

Haven't been to Willie's American Guitars new location yet. Went to the old location several times. Willies website notes that an appointment is needed for extended checking out of instruments.

Willies American Guitars - Willie's Guitars

www.williesguitars.com

Last time I was at Willies at the old location there was a nice back room for acoustics-ukulele's included. A friend and I spend a good hour checking out ukulele's staff was very kind and helpful.

My brother the guitar collector of course had to visit. Later he spied a guitar he liked. I said send the check and I'll go pick it up. Never did get the check---but that's ok he lent a guitar to my son and he lets me plug my uke into his vintage amps for some fun playing.....

Groth Music Co. | Full-Service Music Store | Since 1939

Shop instruments, accessories, sheet music and gifts at Groth Music, serving musicians since 1939. Sales, rentals, repair, lessons, school services.

www.grothmusic.com

Big store been around for ages==have a little bit of everything

Several smaller shop have ukulele's just not a big part of what they do. Mr. Mark's Music my local small time repair-guitar-strings shop usually has an uke or two on the wall.

 

[TimWilson]

Here you go: https://www.bluegrassfun.com/

Perfect! Thanks!

 

[GreatPotoo]

Cadenza Music carries a variety of accessories for students and musicians. — Cadenza Music

Cadenza Music offers instruments, guitar accessories, violin & other bowed instrument accessories and sheet music. Call 651.644.3611 or email us at: notes@cadenzamusic.com

cadenzamusic.com

Cadenza Music in St. Paul, MN also has a selection of Ukulele's

Haven't been to Willie's American Guitars new location yet. Went to the old location several times. Willies website notes that an appointment is needed for extended checking out of instruments.

Willies American Guitars - Willie's Guitars

www.williesguitars.com

Last time I was at Willies at the old location there was a nice back room for acoustics-ukulele's included. A friend and I spend a good hour checking out ukulele's staff was very kind and helpful.

My brother the guitar collector of course had to visit. Later he spied a guitar he liked. I said send the check and I'll go pick it up. Never did get the check---but that's ok he lent a guitar to my son and he lets me plug my uke into his vintage amps for some fun playing.....

Groth Music Co. | Full-Service Music Store | Since 1939

Shop instruments, accessories, sheet music and gifts at Groth Music, serving musicians since 1939. Sales, rentals, repair, lessons, school services.

www.grothmusic.com

Big store been around for ages==have a little bit of everything

Several smaller shop have ukulele's just not a big part of what they do. Mr. Mark's Music my local small time repair-guitar-strings shop usually has an uke or two on the wall.

Thanks so much! Groth is a mile from my son's house too!

 

[UkeStuff]

Cadenza Music carries a variety of accessories for students and musicians. — Cadenza Music

Cadenza Music offers instruments, guitar accessories, violin & other bowed instrument accessories and sheet music. Call 651.644.3611 or email us at: notes@cadenzamusic.com

cadenzamusic.com

Cadenza Music in St. Paul, MN also has a selection of Ukulele's

I had a very good visit with Cadenza’s manager last Friday, actually, talking ukuleles. Like many music stores, the sub $250 range will be the majority of their sales, and they are looking at expanding their offerings. They did carry some Ponos and have one remaining; they also have some Amani and Snail ukuleles in stock…and some Gold Tone. They currently sponsor one of the Twin Cities Ukulele Jams.

As for Groth, they have carried a number of instruments over the years, always Kala, also a wide variety of other instruments such as Flight, Lanikai, Ortega, Outdoor Ukulele, Martin, and others, but following the disappointing sales of the Kala Elite, you won’t find much past the $250 range beyond a couple of Martins (if they are in Stock).

The other store that used to carry some surprising models was Brickhouse in River Falls, WI, outside of the cities but not terribly far. Like most stores, they had Kala, but also carried some Anue Nue at one point, Martin, and I seem to remember that they have a few Kanile’a models (basically in storage). It’s been a few years since I have been there.

The only second-hand music store I visit is in Woodbury, and although they have occasionally had some VERY good instruments in on trade, the last time I stopped in, they only had a few very basic Lanikai models…but they all seemed to be in the LU-21 type category (none of the upper models of Kala).

Ultimately, if you live in the Twin Cities and want a ukulele that sells between $250 and $1200, you have to order from a ukulele specialist, or find them used. And really, if you want any selection, that’s probably true of any ukulele $250 and above. But it’s hard to argue with stores…lots of ukulele sales in that under $250 category, and growing numbers of school programs offering ukulele.

 

[GreatPotoo]

Wow. Had no idea The only thing that's new tonight is the stars are now available more than they have been in months! I was just in the Twin Cities this weekend and the smoke has been uncontrollable until after tomorrow from the fires in Canada head a different direction.

 

[UkeStuff]

Wow. Had no idea The only thing that's new tonight is the stars are now available more than they have been in months! I was just in the Twin Cities this weekend and the smoke has been uncontrollable until after tomorrow from the fires in Canada head a different direction.

I just took my (incoming) 6th Grade son to orientation, and while the skies are blue today, the smell of smoke is strong in the air again. It has been this way ALL summer. I guess this new Air Quality Alert goes from last night (9:30pm) through the 21st!