Third Annual Frets Halligan Ukulele Picnic is Over
It was held June 8, 2024 - Searsport Shores Ocean Campground
It was held June 8, 2024 - Searsport Shores Ocean Campground
Photos from the 2024 Picnic by John Elberfeld and Jon Gottsche. If you have photos, please email them to [email protected]. Thanks.
What: Ukulele Picnic open to the public for FREE (donations appreciated) to honor Frets Hallagan. Frets founded the first Belfast Ukulele Picnic and is now strumming on the west coast.
Sponsors: Our great sponsors are Bliss of Ellsworth (for your ukulele needs!) and The United Farmers Market of Maine (a great place in Belfast to shop and grab a treat on your way to the picnic!) Also, big thanks go to our host, Searsport Shores Ocean Campground in Searsport ME.
Vendor: Bliss: Ellsworth's Music Source will have ukuleles and uke supplies like Ando's Beginners Manual, tuners and straps for sale at the picnic. Scott can special order almost any instrument or musical accessory. Stop by and talk to him about your wants and needs (except when he is playing that day with his group.)
When: Saturday, June 8, 2024. All events are FREE! Rain or shine! Multiple indoor facilities are available if needed.
Beginners' Ukulele Workshop led by Ando Anderson starts at 2:00.
Workshops for more experience students will be led Jeff Weinberger, Mike Burd and Dave Lewis at 2:00
Performances start around 3:00 followed by a picnic supper or pizza dinner, with a guided jam led by Ando Anderson starting at 6:45.
Where: Searsport Shores Ocean Campground in Searsport ME on Route 1 between Belfast and Searsport. Look for the big Mermaid sign.
Why: To bring together Ukulele players in the Midcoast Maine area for a fun musical experience.
Who: Ando Anderson is coordinating the picnic events. Midcoast Ukes, Stone Soup Ukes, and The Merry Plinksters are the three groups performing. Everyone is welcome to come and listen and to join the guided jam session.
What the Bring: Ukulele if playing. Picnic supper if staying. Pizza available for sale. Recommended: Music stand, comfortable chair, printed music booklets, cash for pizza, joyful attitude.
Publicity Help Needed: Please hand out or share the poster for the event available HERE (PDF) and HERE (jpg)
Sponsors: Our great sponsors are Bliss of Ellsworth (for your ukulele needs!) and The United Farmers Market of Maine (a great place in Belfast to shop and grab a treat on your way to the picnic!) Also, big thanks go to our host, Searsport Shores Ocean Campground in Searsport ME.
Vendor: Bliss: Ellsworth's Music Source will have ukuleles and uke supplies like Ando's Beginners Manual, tuners and straps for sale at the picnic. Scott can special order almost any instrument or musical accessory. Stop by and talk to him about your wants and needs (except when he is playing that day with his group.)
When: Saturday, June 8, 2024. All events are FREE! Rain or shine! Multiple indoor facilities are available if needed.
Beginners' Ukulele Workshop led by Ando Anderson starts at 2:00.
Workshops for more experience students will be led Jeff Weinberger, Mike Burd and Dave Lewis at 2:00
Performances start around 3:00 followed by a picnic supper or pizza dinner, with a guided jam led by Ando Anderson starting at 6:45.
Where: Searsport Shores Ocean Campground in Searsport ME on Route 1 between Belfast and Searsport. Look for the big Mermaid sign.
Why: To bring together Ukulele players in the Midcoast Maine area for a fun musical experience.
Who: Ando Anderson is coordinating the picnic events. Midcoast Ukes, Stone Soup Ukes, and The Merry Plinksters are the three groups performing. Everyone is welcome to come and listen and to join the guided jam session.
What the Bring: Ukulele if playing. Picnic supper if staying. Pizza available for sale. Recommended: Music stand, comfortable chair, printed music booklets, cash for pizza, joyful attitude.
Publicity Help Needed: Please hand out or share the poster for the event available HERE (PDF) and HERE (jpg)
DETAILS:
My friend Frets Halligan was a great ambassador for ukulele in midcoast Maine years ago.. He taught uke to group and adult ed classes, and at the Maine Fiddle Camp. He led workshops in local schools as well as throughout Maine, New England, and the entire East Coast. Frets' enthusiastic uke playing and singing was treasured in many venues; nursing homes, churches, parties, schools, and Belfast Summer Nights. He ultimately organized the first local ukulele picnic which evolved into Belfast Uke Fest organized by Midcoast Ukes. The pandemic forced cancellation of the Uke Fest for the last two years, and Midcoast Ukes decided not to hold one in 2022. John Elberfeld and I decided a smaller, much simpler, picnic could bring local players together to share songs and good company. I decided to name it the First Annual Frets Halligan Ukulele Picnic to recognize his contribution to uke music around here and because of its success, we are holding a Second Annual Picnic. Admission to the picnic is free and open to everyone. Family participation is encouraged. Volunteers will pass the hat for free will donations to help defray the cost of this event. Our great sponsors are Bliss of Ellsworth (for your ukulele needs!) and The United Farmers Market of Maine (a great place in Belfast to shop and grab a treat on your way to the picnic!)
LOCATION: The picnic is on the grounds of Searsport Shores Ocean Campground in Searsport Me. The Uke Picnic will be held rain or shine. Events will be outside if possible, so dress appropriately. The campground has a covered sound stage for performers, and several benches for the audience. Bringing a comfortable chair with you is recommended. There are short walks from the parking locations to the band stand and modern restrooms. You are encouraged to arrive early so you have time to tour the beautiful campground area and the waterfront.
FOOD: Bring your own food and drink for the evening meal, or buy fresh wood-fired pizza created and baked to your specific guidelines.
SCHEDULE:
2:00 All workshop will run from 2:00 to 2:45.
Concerts start at 3:00:
3:00 Midcoast Ukes,
4:00 Stone Soup Ukes
5:00 The Merry Plinksters
6:00 Supper will start when the performances end at approximately 6:00. Bring your own food or purchase a wood-fired pizza made fresh as you watch and direct.
6:45 A guided jam session will begin at 6:45 or when the majority of the players have finished eating and will end at 8:00.
WORKSHOPS: All start at 2:00 p.m. Locations depend on the weather.
Please print the handouts and bring them with you to the workshop
GUIDED JAM: I will lead the jam participants through 20 songs (or so, depending on the time) selected for different playing levels. Three of the songs have harder chords which can be reviewed prior to the day of the picnic. The song booklet may be downloaded HERE for those who want to prepare and become familiar with the tunes. If possible. print your copy of the song book and bring the copy with you because only a limited number of printed jam books will be available at the picnic. The jam will be at the Main Stage if possible, or in the big Dye Barn if weather requires it.
CONTACTS: If you have specific questions please contact Ando Anderson. Volunteers are needed to help with the parking, assist beginners in the workshop, and guide visitors to campground facilities.
My friend Frets Halligan was a great ambassador for ukulele in midcoast Maine years ago.. He taught uke to group and adult ed classes, and at the Maine Fiddle Camp. He led workshops in local schools as well as throughout Maine, New England, and the entire East Coast. Frets' enthusiastic uke playing and singing was treasured in many venues; nursing homes, churches, parties, schools, and Belfast Summer Nights. He ultimately organized the first local ukulele picnic which evolved into Belfast Uke Fest organized by Midcoast Ukes. The pandemic forced cancellation of the Uke Fest for the last two years, and Midcoast Ukes decided not to hold one in 2022. John Elberfeld and I decided a smaller, much simpler, picnic could bring local players together to share songs and good company. I decided to name it the First Annual Frets Halligan Ukulele Picnic to recognize his contribution to uke music around here and because of its success, we are holding a Second Annual Picnic. Admission to the picnic is free and open to everyone. Family participation is encouraged. Volunteers will pass the hat for free will donations to help defray the cost of this event. Our great sponsors are Bliss of Ellsworth (for your ukulele needs!) and The United Farmers Market of Maine (a great place in Belfast to shop and grab a treat on your way to the picnic!)
LOCATION: The picnic is on the grounds of Searsport Shores Ocean Campground in Searsport Me. The Uke Picnic will be held rain or shine. Events will be outside if possible, so dress appropriately. The campground has a covered sound stage for performers, and several benches for the audience. Bringing a comfortable chair with you is recommended. There are short walks from the parking locations to the band stand and modern restrooms. You are encouraged to arrive early so you have time to tour the beautiful campground area and the waterfront.
FOOD: Bring your own food and drink for the evening meal, or buy fresh wood-fired pizza created and baked to your specific guidelines.
SCHEDULE:
2:00 All workshop will run from 2:00 to 2:45.
Concerts start at 3:00:
3:00 Midcoast Ukes,
4:00 Stone Soup Ukes
5:00 The Merry Plinksters
6:00 Supper will start when the performances end at approximately 6:00. Bring your own food or purchase a wood-fired pizza made fresh as you watch and direct.
6:45 A guided jam session will begin at 6:45 or when the majority of the players have finished eating and will end at 8:00.
WORKSHOPS: All start at 2:00 p.m. Locations depend on the weather.
Please print the handouts and bring them with you to the workshop
- The Beginner's Workshop, which is for people of all ages who have never played a ukulele before, although beginners at all levels are welcome. It will run from 2:00 to 2:45 Ando Anderson will lead the workshop. Saturday afternoon. Participants should bring an instrument with them. If you arrive a few minutes early, volunteers will help you tune your uke. The workshop is based on Ando's new ukulele manual, Playing the Uke with Ando. You may download HERE the select pages that will be used in the workshop. Printed handouts will be available on a first come-first served basis. The complete book will be for sale at the picnic. Children from the age of six up through senior citizens will be able to play a song or two by the end of the workshop.
- The Strum's The Thing! - strumming and rhythm for confident beginners and beyond led by Jeff Weinberger. Many people I talk to who play ukulele, tell me that rhythm and strumming is the area they most want to improve at. This workshop’s aim is to help the student discover the feel of a song without too much concern for the mechanics of it. We’ll cover the strums that will take you through nearly every style of popular music. A collection of strums can be gotten for free HERE:
- Ukulele I IV V Workshop - Mike Burd - In this hands-on workshop we’ll unlock the mystery of the building blocks of song form and chord progressions using the “Nashville Number System”; or more generally known as “1 4 5”. If you remember the “Do Re Me” song from The Sound of Music, then this may help you understand how the notes in a major scale are related to a chord’s root note in a song. The big payoff is that once you understand a song’s structure, then you can transpose (move) the song’s key to literally any other key!! Gentleman James Ostergard will accompany us on the Big Bass to help illustrate root movement. You may download HERE a PDF containing links to resources and music used in the workshop.
- Voice Accompaniment: a guitarist's approach.- Dave Lewis - Exploring melodic ideas in ukulele voice accompaniment: a guitarist's approach.
- The Beginner's Workshop - Main Stage - Rain: Dye Barn
- The Strum's The Thing! - Rec Hall
- Ukulele I IV V Workshop - Art Studio
- Voice Accompaniment = Garden Kitchen
GUIDED JAM: I will lead the jam participants through 20 songs (or so, depending on the time) selected for different playing levels. Three of the songs have harder chords which can be reviewed prior to the day of the picnic. The song booklet may be downloaded HERE for those who want to prepare and become familiar with the tunes. If possible. print your copy of the song book and bring the copy with you because only a limited number of printed jam books will be available at the picnic. The jam will be at the Main Stage if possible, or in the big Dye Barn if weather requires it.
CONTACTS: If you have specific questions please contact Ando Anderson. Volunteers are needed to help with the parking, assist beginners in the workshop, and guide visitors to campground facilities.