2024 Funky Frets Uke Fest – News

The Funky Frets Uke Frets keeps getting better and better every year.

2023 The Historic Carousel at Pottstown OPen-Mic & Jam

For the same price or less than most festivals, you'll get a historic carousel ride & strum-along, a Sunday jam and picnic, catered lunch and dinner on Saturday, as well as all the standard festival items. 2019 was our first themed festival, and appropriately, we went with a Philadelphia theme.

We kicked off Saturday's concert with none other than Philly's own historic ukulele player, Ben Franklin (he did play guitar for real), and some Philly Mummers to get the audience strutting their stuff.Without having to wait for the New Year's Day Mummers Parade down Broad St. in Philadelphia. And a lot better weather.

2020 would have been great for a Roarin' 20s theme, but thanks to COVID-19, we had to wait until 2022, and the Roarin' 20s theme, 2023, was a Doo-Wop 50s theme; we are going Country for 2024. So dust off your Stetson hat, hitch up your cowboy boots, and let's get going, – Y'all.

Kook the Uke, ready for the 2024 Funky Frets Uke Fest in his Cowboy gear

2024 Features a Country Theme

Break out you cowboy boots and 10 gallon hat, but — Leave the horse and six shooter at home.

Checkout the Funky Frets facebook Page for all the great photos of past festivals.

Here are the mock-ups of the 2024 Kook the Uke, Country Cowboy festival t-shirt. The t-shirt colors, and is seems they get creative when naming color for t-shirts: Brown Savana, Kiwi, Safety Pink, and Yellow Haze. We're sure you can guess which is which.

Fest Friends: The Life-Changing Magic of Ukulele Festivals

by Jim D'Ville | From the Summer 2024 Issue of Ukulele Magazine

All In the Funky Family

Funky Frets is an aptly named music store. The quirky ukulele boutique and music shop in historic Boyertown, Pennsylvania opened in 2012, and is a quintessential example of a family run business. Curt and Bernadette Sheller, along with their daughter, Kelly Thompson, own and operate the shop and produce the annual Funky Frets Ukulele Festival. The trio developed their business and festival by treating everyone like extended family.

“We started some uke jams and special events, and every time, my mom would make baked goods and put snacks out,” says Thompson. “People would say they had never been to a uke jam where food was out. They’d say they felt treated like family. That’s where that initial feeling of welcoming comes from—you throw food in, and everyone loves it.”

But it isn’t just the offer of free food that draws ukulele players to the music store and festival. “The thing I enjoy the most about our festival is the ongoing friendships made at the event,” says Thompson. “You’ll see folks who have met at our festival creating a cappella videos together online and returning year after year. I never imagined people would come from out of state for our festival. And then to see so many new friendships made is cool!” To become part of the Funky Frets family, you can attend the ninth annual Funky Frets Festival October 3–6.

- Jim D'Ville

2020 Virtual Funky Frets Uke Fest - Virtual Strum-Along

Curt Sheller

Checkout Curt's various web sites for the latest and greatest regarding Curt.

• CurtSheller.com - Curt's main site for all things Curt, The Curt Sheller Jazz Trio, and Curt Sheller Publications
• LearningUkulele.com — Over 900 lessons for ukulele, All major Ukulele Clubs and Festivals listings, instrument manufactures, builders and Luthiers, and anything and everything regarding the ukulele.