Teen ukers from Langley are demonstrating their skills in England this week and L.A. next month, while some of their younger ukulele counterparts performed for other children and seniors in Victoria and Salt Springs Island earlier this summer. And all this travel is made possible thanks to the new Fort Langley International Ukulele Festival.
In its second year, this global festival has a few components, explained founder Peter Luongo.
Langley Ukulele Association introduced the conference last year in Fort Langley, selling out with 150 delegates attending the convention held at the fort.
This year, more than two months ahead of the date, the event had sold out again. This time, more than 200 delegates will be attending 36 workshops being offered over two days in late September, Luongo said.
But that’s not the only component of this relatively new festival. Luongo is also excited to emphasize a free public component and two ticketed concerts that are part of the international festival being held inside and outside of the salishan Place by the River cultural centre in Fort Langley.
The convention is being held inside the cultural centre over the two days (Friday, Sept. 25, and Saturday, Sept. 26), and is attracting delegates from as far away as Poland, England, Hawaii, Florida, New York, Nevada, the Yukon, Manitoba, and Ontario, as well as much of the western seaboard including California, Oregon, Washington up through B.C. and Alberta. In fact, a couple of delegates from Gloucester, Poland, Kaua’i are coming early to attend the weekly LUA rehearsal sessions, Luongo said.
“They’re anxious to watch what we do and to learn what’s made the Langley program world famous through the years,” he elaborated.
In addition to the convention, there are two ticketed concerts being held at the Chief Sepass Theatre on the Friday and Saturday nights. While delegates are attending (some participating in) these concerts, these shows are also open to the public, Luongo explained.
The first show on Sept. 25 is called “Island Voices: An Evening with Hawaii’s Finest,” where the audience will be treated to an evening featuring some of Hawaii’s premier ukulele artists and Hawaiian dancers from this region. Then, the next night is the “Pacific Ukulele Showcase.” This concert will feature renowned Pacific Northwest artists and the headliners will be Langley’s own Langley Ukulele Ensemble.
There are still a limited number of tickets available for that part of the festival. They are $25 each and available while supplies last, at langleyevents.ca. The concerts start at 7 p.m.
There’s a third component to this year’s festival that will actually starts in the days just leading up to the event.
There’s a pre-event of sorts, Luongo said. It’s all free and meant to help trumpet to the locals throughout Metro Vancouver that Langley is now among those communities hosting a ukulele festival on an international scale – and it’s all happening in Fort Langley.
The public is invited to come down to the village on the Tuesday, Wednesday, and/or Thursday ahead of the festival, and take in a series of free events focused around the historic community hall that are aimed at getting the word out about what’s coming up on the weekend.
“Those free activities are intended to create awareness of what will be happening down the block at salishan on Friday and Saturday,” said Luongo.
“The whole point is to put on an event here on that weekend and invite people to bring their family, friends, and your neighbours to take in some great entertainment,” he said, noting various activities will be going on throughout.
“What we’ll try to do for those three days is place ourselves right in the centre of Fort Langley – on Glover [Road] – and offer some free lessons, talk about the Indigenous cultural history that exists between Langley and Hawaii, and offer an opportunity to listen to, enjoy, and play some great music.”
Then, outdoor entertainment shifts up to the amphitheatre outside salishan Place By the River for Friday and Saturday (it moves inside the community hall in the event of rain).
Again, free for the public, there will be performances by various Hawaiian and Pacific Northwest artists, there will be jam sessions, there will be open mic opportunities, and there will even be a chance to learn how to dance the hula, Luongo noted.
The second annual Fort Langley International Ukulele Festival is meant as an educational event, but also a fun event, to bring people together who share a love of the uke (beginner to master levels) as well as to raise awareness of the Langley Ukulele Association and its work with kids that has spanned more than 45 years.
But an added bonus of the festival is that it helps raise money to send the LUA students to festivals and other special events around the globe, such as their inclusion in the Ukulele Festival of Great Britain (Aug. 14 to 16) in Cheltenham and their performance at the Los Angeles International Ukulele Festival (Sept. 19 and 20) in Torrance, Calif.
“This is what ukulele players do,” Luongo said, describing interest in the uke as a worldwide phenomenon.
Beyond learning or sharing online, which some players do, he said this kind of festival is the way in which many ukulele players develop and grow their passion for music and the instrument.
“Because there’s no formal program like there is in the Langley Ukulele Association, and like there is for piano or violin, the best we’re going to do is to offer them a festival where they can bring their current abilities and learn from the masters about the next steps,” Luongo said, explaining his motivation for starting the festival in 2025 and speaking to his intent to continue growing the festival for years to come.