Ukulele Clubs and Carnivals Galore In Duluth, Minnesota

The ukulele truly is the people’s instrument. It’s lightweight, fun to play, and satisfyingly sweet to listen to. It’s this decade’s go-to instrument for virtually everyone: Master just three chords and you can impress your friends with impromptu sing-alongs.  

The mighty little uke is sociable, quickly rewarding, and, thanks to a recent influx of interest in the instrument, it also has a strong, passionate community of serious players behind it. There’s no better time to pick up the ukulele than now, and in Minnesota, there’s no better place to start learning it than in Duluth.  

The Duluth Ukulele Group Strum (D.U.C.S.) is a non-performing, easygoing group that ensures every player – from beginner to professional – has the chance to mingle with like-minded enthusiasts. The group is looking for anyone over the age of 18 with an interest in the ukulele – any type of ukulele. Owners of Soprano, Baritone, Tenor, Concert or any other type of uke are invited to join in on D.U.C.S. strum-alongs, and are even welcome to bring their friends who want to lend their ukulele-strumming fingers or voices to the meetings.  

D.U.C.S meets twice a month, on the second and fourth Monday of every month, from 6:30pm until 8:00pm at Ecumen Lakeshore. Meetings are free. All members have to bring is their own instrument, a music stand (if they have one) and the Daily Ukulele Book.

Duluth’s next closest ukulele group can be found a half-hour’s drive from the center of town, in Two Harbors. The Two Harbors Ukulele Group, or THUG, for short, warmly welcomes beginners and usually holds a refresher course prior to their regular strum sessions, which are held most weeks at Emmanuel Lutheran Church (602 4th Ave.) or United Church of Two Harbors (531 3rd Ave.). THUG often has extra ukuleles for those who forgot to bring theirs, or those without an instrument. Meetings are usually held every Friday or Saturday, though new and returning members should check the group’s online schedule for dates, times and locations.  

In addition to their regular ukulele playing, THUG also puts on an annual ukulele carnival, which welcomes ukulele players from all over the United States and Canada around August of every year. The “fabulously fun and educational” gathering was founded in 2011 as a way to bring together ukulele players from across the nation and beyond. In 2017, the carnival had around 140 registered participants from three countries, 10 states and 20 different ukulele groups.  

If you’re looking for a place to find like-minded uke enthusiasts, Duluth and its surrounding area is where you want to be.