Strum, swap, and jam: the Tampa Bay Ukulele Getaway is back in Largo this weekend for its 17th year, kicking off Friday at 7 p.m. with concerts at Horizon West Bay. Organizers say tickets are capped at 200.
The three-day event, which according to The Tampa Bay Ukulele Society runs Nov. 6-8 in Largo, Florida, is put on by a club that its own event page describes as one of the world's largest ukulele organizations, with more than 4,000 members. Ahead of the festival, Bloom host Amber Freeman sat down with Society president Thomas Hood and board member Tony DiGiorgio to talk about the event, as reported by WFLA, which notes the Friday concerts begin at 7 p.m. at Horizon West Bay in Largo.
Friday's Meet-and-Greet Leads Into a Night of Concerts
Friday's lineup starts well before the headline sets. Per the same Society listing, the day opens at 5 p.m. with an artists' meet-and-greet, followed by a 6 p.m. play-along jam. Concerts run from 7 to 10 p.m. and feature Moondog, Tom Hood & The Tropical Sons, Steven Espaniola, Victoria “Viggy” Kolasinski, and Coconut Groove.
Saturday shifts the action to the Central Park Performing Arts Center, where the Society's schedule lists workshops, another play-along jam, and an artists' concert at 7 p.m. The weekend wraps Sunday with a BBQ luau and ukulele jam; VIP passes include the luau.
Capped Tickets and a $150 VIP Price Tag
Getting in this year comes with real limits. The event page prices VIP passes at $150 for players and $50 for non-player spouses, and states that tickets are capped at 200 total.
Horizon West Bay, the Friday concert venue at 440 W. Bay Drive in Largo, will have food and drinks available for purchase at the Nov. 6 festival event.
A Festival That Has Grown Since Its Early Years
The Getaway has come a long way since its early days. A piece in Ukulele Magazine described the gathering as a three-day festival in its fifth year, with the Society reporting nearly 700 members across central Florida at the time — a fraction of the 4,000-plus membership the group now cites.
Format and pricing have also shifted since the pandemic era. Creative Loafing Tampa covered the 2021 Getaway, which ran Nov. 5-7 with a mix of virtual and in-person programming based at St. Pete's Sirata Beach Resort, where player passes cost $199 and companion passes ran $159. That year's in-person attendees, artists, vendors, and staff also had to show a negative COVID test or vaccination card and pass a temperature check at registration.
