Ukulele Club Performs at Annual Folk Festival

Ross Hart

The PebbleCreek Ukulele Club was invited to participate on March 1, at the annual Glendale Folk and Heritage Festival. Members who performed were Jim Miller, Irene Manalili, Ryan Bond, Bonnie Fisher, Gillian Driscoll, Karin Andrews, and Ross Hart. For the event, they performed contemporary as well as traditional Hawaiian pieces. Irene Manalili danced a beautiful hula. The group hosted a workshop focusing on Hawaiian strumming techniques and songs.

This event, held at the Saguaro Ranch Park in Glendale, was the 33rd anniversary of the festival’s existence. The two-day event attracts musicians from all over the U.S. and Canada. Performances were held throughout the weekend on multiple stages throughout the park. Like in years past, there was no cost for admission to the event, to any of the performances, or to the workshops.

The Saguaro Ranch Park is an 80-acre park with a history that extends from the 1800s. Among the original family’s goals was producing “the finest date palms in Arizona” and many of these palms remain in the park. It was a working farm and ranch for years, and many of the original buildings have been restored. During the festival, tours of the park and its history were provided.

Performing at the Glendale Folk and Heritage Festival was a proud moment for us. Want to join us? We jam every Tuesday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in room 100, across from the Activities Office. No experience is necessary. We make learning the ukulele easy. If you want to join us or if your organization is looking for entertainment, please call Ross Hart. His number is in the PebbleCreek Source Book. Our repertoire includes music from the ’60s and ’70s, as well as Caribbean and Hawaiian music.