Ukulele flash mob performs together to kick off Mighty Uke Day in East Lansing

Matthew Dae Smith, Lansing State Journal
Updated ·1 min read
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EAST LANSING — About 75 ukulele enthusiasts from around the country gathered for a flash mob in front of the Magic Johnson statue outside the Breslin Center Friday afternoon to kick off the 13th annual Mighty Uke Day festival.

Mighty Uke Day festival founder Ben Hassenger, right, and The Ukulele Kings bassist Steve Szilagyi lead a flash mob of ukulele enthusiasts in the song "Do You Believe in Magic" on Friday, June 23, 2023, near the Magic Johnson statue near the Breslin Center in East Lansing kicking off the 13th Annual Mighty Uke Day ukulele festival. The three-day event features workshops, performances, and open jam sessions.

The three-day festival takes place at the University United Methodist Church, 1120 S. Harrison Road, in East Lansing. A kid’s event will be held Sunday at (SCENE) Metrospace on Charles Street.

Each year, the festival kicks off with a flash mob where attendees gather as a group to play songs on their ukes.

"I don’t think Magic is coming today,” joked founder and organizer Ben Hassenger, the self-appointed  "Ukulele Ambassador of Michigan.”

The Lansing musician then led the other ukulele enthusiasts in a series of songs, including The Lovin' Spoonful's "Do You Believe in Magic," a tune that harmonized with this year's festival theme, "We Believe in Magic."

Event organizers are promising live performances, open jam sessions, ukulele workshops, and vendors selling all things ukulele.

“I got hooked on ukulele in 2009 in Hawaii at a ukulele festival and talked to some friends back home and said let’s do it here," Hassenger said.  He founded the Lansing Area Ukulele Group (LAUGH) in 2009. He organized the first Mighty Uke Day Festival in 2011.

Mighty Uke Day festival founder Ben Hassenger (pointing) and The Ukulele Kings bassist Steve Szilagyi lead a flash mob of ukulele enthusiasts in the song "Do You Believe in Magic" on Friday, June 23, 2023, at the Magic Johnson statue at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. The flash mob kicked off the 13th annual Mighty Uke Day ukulele festival. The three-day event features workshops, performances, and open jam sessions.

“This is the largest flash mob so far," Hassenger said. "It grows every year. It’s the most folk of folk instruments because it brings folks together.

"If everybody played ukulele, the world would be a better place."

The event runs through Sunday. For a list of performers and a schedule of events, visit http://mightyukeday.com.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Ukulele flash mob performs together to kick off Mighty Uke Day in East Lansing