The seventh annual Aurora Ukulele Festival will be inside this year.
The festival will be from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at Two Brothers Roundhouse, 205 N. Broadway.
As it has for the past six years as an outdoor festival, it will feature performing acts, open mics, workshops and vendors.
The main stage acts include, at 11 a.m., Aurora’s own Hix Brothers Ukulele Band; noon, Todd Lorenc; 1 p.m., Hoapili, an authentic Hawaiian band, with Hula ’O Puanani, a hula dancing group; 2 p.m., Abby Lyons; 3 p.m., Matt Griffo; 4 p.m., Aaron Baer; 5 p.m., Danielle Ate the Sandwich; and at 5:45 p.m., a performers jam session.
Workshops include, from noon to 12:45 p.m., Matt Griffo, with “Triple Strum and Using Muting in Rhythm,” in the Ale Porter room; from noon to 2 p.m., open mic, in the Pilsner Room; 1 p.m., Aaron Baer, with “Beginning Ukulele,” in the Ale Porter room; 2 p.m., Carl Hix, hosting “10 Songs, 12 Keys, Scary Chords Can Be Your Friend,” in the Ale Porter Room; 2:15 p.m., Aaron Baer, with “Intro to Bar Chords/Moveable Chords,” in the Pilsner Room; 3 p.m., Uncle Jon Strum Along, in the Ale Porter Room; 3:15 p.m., Danielle Ate the Sandwich, with “Easy Two-Finger Picking Pattern,” in the Pilsner Room; and at 4 p.m., Abby Lyons, with “Songwriting,” in the Ale Porter Room.
Sponsors of the 2024 Ukulele Festival include Aurora Alds. Mike Saville, 6th Ward, Juany Garza, 2nd Ward, and Emmanuel Llamas, 1st Ward; Ball Horticultural; the Hix Brothers Music School; Musical Expressions; the Aurora Area Convention and Visitors Bureau; and the city of Aurora.
The Aurora Ukulele Festival was the brainchild of Saville, who in 2018 saw many You Tube videos of people playing the ukulele, and discovered there are ukulele festivals all over the world.
He thought it would fit well with downtown Aurora’s growing arts and entertainment community.
He contacted Todd Von Ohlen, a music industry veteran who had worked with the city on other music festivals, and soon a committee was formed.
This year’s festival moves from August to May, and off the Water Street Mall and indoors, at the Roundhouse, where unpredictable weather will not be a factor.
slord@tribpub.com
