Carnival Details
2024 Carnival Materials
The 2024 Carnival materials will be emailed to everyone who registers in early August 2024. They will also be available here to download at that time.
[Reserved space for downloading 2024 Carnival materials.]
2024 Online Registration
Online registration will open as soon as most plans have been finalized. If you have registered in the past for the Carnival, you will receive an email notifying you that registration is now open. Our website will be updated with that information, too.
Online registration will be closed at 11:59 p.m. on August 1, 2024. You still will be able to register in person at the Carnival, but you will not be eligible for drawings. You must register online to be eligible for drawings.
The last chance to order Carnival clothing (or make any changes) will be 11:59 p.m. on 07/14/2024.
The last chance to order a harmonica for Lil Rev’s beginner harmonica workshop will be 11:59 p.m. on 07/14/2024.
Lil Rev will be bringing a 10 hole diatonic Honer harmonica in the key of C for each person that preorders one. Cost will be $20, payable when you check in at the registration table.
The last chance to order the Saturday catered dinner (or make any changes) will be when online registration closes at 11:59 p.m. on 08/01/2024.
2024 Carnival Concerts
The 2024 Carnival features concerts by some very talented people.
See the Ukulele Carnival Schedule page for concert times.
Thursday, August 15, 2024
- We will start with the outdoor concert at the Band Shell in Two Harbors, featuring:
- THUG, Lil Rev, Webb-Tigert, Ukester Brown, and Petey Mack
- A great preview of the upcoming concerts during the weekend.
Friday, August 16, 2024
- Two mini concerts
- Webb-Tigert will be in concert in the evening.
Saturday, August 17, 2024
- Two mini concerts
- Lil Rev will be performing in a multi-instrumental concert in the evening.
2024 Strum Sessions
In our strum sessions, we will be playing from The Daily Ukulele (yellow book) and The Daily Ukulele Leap Year Edition (blue book), These are both really great books compiled and arranged by Liz and Jim Beloff. I would highly recommend that you purchase them or share with your neighbor at the Carnival.
2024 Carnival Workshops
The 2024 Carnival features workshops by some very talented people. A great chance to increase your ukulele skills.
This page will be updated as decisions are made. See the Ukulele Carnival Schedule page for workshop times.
- Lil Rev will be presenting a beginner harmonica workshop.
- You will need a 10 hole diatonic harmonica in the key of C.
- You can preorder a 10 hole diatonic Honer harmonica in the key of C from Lil Rev
and simply pay for it when you check in at the registration desk. Cost is $20.
- Lil Rev will also be presenting a workshop designed for intermediate players.
- Tobin Sobaski, THUG’s amazing lead ukulele player, will be presenting a workshop for the intermediate/advanced players.
- Lisa Webb and Bob Tigert will both be presenting workshops.
- Ukester Brown will be presenting a workshop.
- Chris Russell will be presenting beginner/intermediate classes.
Carnival Clothing
We are still finalizing this year’s designs. This page will be updated when the information becomes available.
T-Shirts and Caps will need to ordered by 07/14/2024 (the only way to be guaranteed one) when you register. We may have a few extra caps available at the event.
You will pick up and pay for these items when you check into the registration area on either August 16th or August 17th (cash or check only; no credit cards).
Food
Thursday 5:00 p.m.: United Church is hosting their Simple Supper again this year before the outdoor Thursday evening concert.
Friday 11:30 a.m.: Na-cho Bizness is back again this year with their popular Mexican cuisine.
Friday 5:00 p.m.: The Two Harbors High School football & cheerleader teams will be cooking dinner for us again this year. This is a fund raiser for their program, and they have done a wonderful job in past years.
Saturday 12:00 p.m.: The Two Harbors High School football & cheerleader teams will be cooking lunch for us again this year. This is a fund raiser for their program, and they have done a wonderful job in past years.
Saturday Night Catered Dinner
This is the 8th year we are offering a catered buffet dinner at the Carnival. This year we are bringing in a catering service from Duluth. THUG has eaten their delicious food at a couple of our past gigs that were catered by them. We finally are able to schedule them to cater for us this year!
Dinner starts at approximately 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, 08/17/2024 in the main building at the Fairgrounds.
Menu: Roast turkey, baked ham, mashed potatoes with gravy, seasoned dressing, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, creamy coleslaw, whole cranberry sauce, and dessert.
This year we will not be offering a vegan option.
All Saturday night dinners must be ordered when you register online by 08/01/2024. Extra dinners may not be available at the event. You will pick up and pay for your dinner tickets when you check in at the registration area at the Carnival.
You may order extra meals for family and friends.
Price: $20
Sunday 10:00 a.m.: The Two Harbors High School football & cheerleader teams will be making a pancake breakfast again this year. This is a fund raiser for their program, and they did a wonderful job last year!
Lodging
There are several motels and campgrounds in the Two Harbors area. The best place to start is by going to the Two Harbors Chamber of Commerce website, which has a listing of local lodging.
If you like camping, I would encourage you to camp with us at the Carnival site at the Lake County Fairgrounds. See below for more information.
Carnival Camping at the Fairgrounds
One of the reasons we moved the event to the Lake County Fairgrounds was to increase the room for much more camping.
The Fairgrounds is charging us $10 per week per camper hookup. Our suggested donation for camping is $10/night with electric hookup, and $5/night for non-electricity. The extra donated money will help fund the Carnival. You will pay for your camping when you check in at the registration area at the Carnival.
2024 Campfire Strum
Weather permitting, we will again be hosting a strum session around the campfire on Friday and/or Saturday evening. This year we are going to include some open mic time during the campfire strum. We’ll provide a sound system and some soft lighting so you can see your music if you’re leading a strum or singing at the open mic. There’s something about playing and singing with friends under the stars with a campfire crackling in the background that is magical.
M.U.G. (Massed Ukulele Group) Music
One of the benefits of attending the Carnival is the opportunity to play and sing with 200 or so other ukulele players. We do that in strum sessions but also with our Massed Ukulele Group music.
Each year we have different presenters select and teach M.U.G. music that we will all play during the Saturday afternoon concert. It really is something special to be a part of this group experience!
Our goal is to email the M.U.G. music to those who have registered about two weeks or so ahead of time. Then you can preview the music and take it for a test drive. We also have a couple M.U.G. rehearsals scheduled for Saturday morning to clarify and fine tune things.
2024 Beginner/Intermediate Classes
Chris Russell brilliantly taught a series of progressive beginner classes at the 2023 Carnival. Chris is a music educator with 28 years of teaching experience. This is a great opportunity to start learning the ukulele with numerous lessons over a couple of days. Chris will be teaching beginner classes and adding some intermediate classes this year.
Stay tuned for the class schedules. Please sign up for the classes when you register.
2024 Open Mic
There will be opportunities for you and your group to try your hand performing a song or two during an open mic session. There will open mic opportunities on Friday, August 16th and Saturday, August 17th. Stay tuned for the times. You can sign up for open mic at the registration table.
Directions
The Carnival’s location:
Lake County Fairgrounds
1381 Fairgrounds Road
Two Harbors, MN 55616
This is still located inside the Silver Creek Township, so we didn’t have to change our name.
Dale Moe, Charles Finch, and Al Anderson
posing for a picture by the main Lake County Fairgrounds building during a scouting mission September 2022.
—Photo by Brenda Moe