Category Archives: Blog

2017 Ukulele Extravaganza at Coquitlam Multicultural Fair

Our dear friends, Gary Cyr, Jerry Santa Cruz and Glen Towns, will be leading us and playing drums and bass respectively during our performance on July 15 as a part of the Multicultural Fair at Spirit Square in Coquitlam. Our presentation is coined “Ukulele Extravaganza”.

If you would like to participate but have not signed up yet, complete the form below to let us know as the more the merrier!

Here’s a clip filmed at last year’s performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlkszXu5ma4

The Fair starts at 11 am and there will be “a variety of live entertainment, music and dance.” There will be activities for kids as well as adults. Visitors can try their hand at wood carving and arts and crafts.

Like last year, we will also have a booth to give mini ukulele tutorials and to just hang out with other aspiring ukulele players over an outdoor jam. To sign up for the volunteer table, please use the same form below.

Free Admission and Raffle Draw

Admission to attend the event is free and there will be a concession with a barbecue lunch and other food available for purchase. There will also be door prizes and raffle draws. We are also contributing a couple of prizes for the event.

Performance

Date: Saturday, July 15, 2017
Time: Check-in by 1:40pm. Be ready to go on stage by 1:50pm.
Location: Glen Pine Pavilion, 1200 Glen Pine Court, Coquitlam, BC
Attire: Hawaiian-themed outfits (e.g., leis, grass-skirts, etc.) or Cutie t-shirts
Accessories: Bring an uke, a music stand and songbooks.
Parking: Available under the Glen Pine Pavilion, access from Glen Drive. Outdoor parking, access from Burlington St., plus the City of Coquitlam staff parking are beinig made available for this event across the street on Burlington St. with additional street parking around the area. See also Glen Pine’s Parking Information page.

Photo Credit: Terry Wilson

Free Ukulele Mini-Lessons at Our Outreach Booth and Outdoor Jams

Our outreach booth is our home base to hang out during the performances. We will have a few colour ukes to show visitors how to play (or for us to have a jam)! Earn a certificate for complete your ukulele lesson!

We will have a hand-stamp station for kids to stamp their hands. We will also have some free stickers to give away!

Time: 11:00am – 2:30pm (We’ll be setting up our table around 9:00am.)
Location: Glen Pine Pavilion, 1200 Glen Pine Court, Coquitlam, BC
Wi-Fi: Wireless devices should be able to pick up wi-fi signal from the Glen Pine Freenet.

Map:

Sign Up for Performance and/or Ukulele Mini-Tutorial Assistant on July 15

Cutie Circle Celebrates Three Years of Ukulele Fun

The Coquitlam Ukulele Tiny Instrument Enthusiasts (Cutie) Circle will be hosting a ukulele birthday bash on Sunday, July 9, to celebrate its third birthday!!!!

There will be cake, a couple of prizes and lots of strumming and singing with friends! First-time visitors are welcome to join us for free this weekend! We’ll be bringing a few extra ukuleles for brand new players to try out at the Circle!

Come between 2 and 4pm this Sunday to the Rehearsal Hall at the Evergreen Cultural Centre.

Let us celebrate this milestone with family and friends who have supported us the last three years to put on ukulele workshops, concerts, community outreach for newcomers to Canada, ukulele documentary film screenings, and the Fraser Valley Regional Library’s Uke ‘N Play public ukulele lending initiative, just to name a few.

We are especially grateful to the many participants of our free 7-Week Ukulele Workshop Series for Absolute Beginners who have gone on to spreading joy by volunteering their time to host ukulele circles in their own communities and workplace including in Pitt Meadows, Port Moody, Vancouver and soon in Maple Ridge this September.

As we look ahead to the coming season, we invite you to be a part of our community outreach at the City of Coquitlam’s Multicultural Day on July 15, 2017 at the Glen Pine Pavilion. We’ll be performing on stage and giving our very popular, free mini-lessons on the ukulele to the public.

We’ll also be celebrating Culture Days with ukulele activities fit for the entire family on September 30 at the Michael Wright Art Gallery, in the Gathering Place at Leigh Square in Port Coquitlam and on October 1 at the Pinetree Community Centre in Coquitlam.

We would like to thank the Cities of Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam, especially the folks at the Evergreen Cultural Centre and Leigh Square, for the support we receive and look forward to many more happy times shared at these outstanding venues.

As we contemplate the amount of ukulele fun we have had, we send our gratitude to our mentors, including Azo Bell, Jim D’Ville, Manitoba Hal, Kimo Hussey, Zanuck Lindsey, Ralph Shaw, and Jake Shimabukuro. We are thankful to our friends and local ukulele leaders, Gary Cyr, Braden Deans, and Ron Usher who have generously lent their hands from the very start to make sure the Cutie Circle would thrive! We finally thank all the Cuties who volunteered and/or participated in ukulele activities of all manners. Your enthusiasm inspires us daily to spread the ukulele spirit and passion to a larger audience! Thank you for your friendship!

See you all at the Birthday Bash!

Cutie Circle’s 2017-2018 Calendar

Cuties’ Song Circle Dates for the 2017 – 2018 Season

Cutie Circle’s Regular Meeting Dates

We’ll be meeting from 2:00pm to 4:00pm on the following dates.

July 8, 2017 (We’ll be celebrating Cutie Circle’s Third Birthday.)
August 13, 2017
September 10, 2017
October 15, 2017 ** (moved back for Thanksgiving)
November 12, 2017
December 17, 2017 ** (moved back due to room availability)
January 14, 2018
February 18, 2018 ** (moved back for Family Day)
March 11, 2018
April 8, 2018
May 13, 2018
June 10, 2018
July 8, 2018

Complete Event Calendar

Venue Location – Address, Directions and Facility Map

The Evergreen Cultural Centre’s address is 1205 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam, BC.

We’ll be meeting in the Rehearsal Hall at the Evergreen Cultural Centre. As in the past, we will have free parking on Sundays and evenings.

DIRECTIONS

TransCanada Route
From Hwy# 1 take exit 44 and take Highway #7 NORTH (Lougheed) towards Coquitlam Town Centre. We are located just north of Coquitlam Shopping Centre at the corner of Guildford and Pinetree.

Barnet Route
From Barnet Hwy travel east through Port Moody, (along St Johns Street), and Coquitlam (along Barnet Hwy). Turn north (left) on Pinetree Way just east of Coquitlam Shopping Centre.

The Evergreen Cultural Centre is located on the northeast corner of Guildford Way and Pinetree Way, four blocks north of the Coquitlam Shopping Centre.

PARKING

Evergreen Cultural Centre has a north and south parking lot operated by the City of Coquitlam. Parking is free on Sundays. Parking is also free in the designated 30-minute parking spaces.

North Lot (Studio Theatre/Art Gallery/Box Ofﬁce)
Travelling northbound on Pinetree Way, turn right at the traffic control signal at Town Centre Boulevard. Travelling southbound on Pinetree Way, turn left at the traffic control signal at Town Centre Boulevard.

South Lot (Rehearsal Hall)
NEW – note that there is no longer access to our south lot (backstage lot) from Guildford. Access to the lot via the North Lot and then via the driveway on the west side of the building.

NEW LOT – there is a new City of Coquitlam PAID parking lot located at the SE corner of Pinetree and Guildford. Parking is free after 6pm.

TRANSIT

Beginning December 2, 2016, patrons will be able to travel to the Evergreen Cultural Centre on the Evergreen Skytrain Line extension. We are located immediately adjacent to the Lafarge Lake – Douglas station at the north end of the Evergreen Line.

For more information and a transit schedules, please visit the Translink website.

ACCESSIBILITY

Evergreen Cultural Centre is an entirely wheelchair accessible facility. There are three wheelchair parking spaces next to the drop off area and in close proximity to the centre.

Facility Map

Once you arrive at the Evergreen Cultural Centre, refer to this Facility Map for finding the parking lot, the ramps, the Rehearsal Hall and the Studio Theatre. (Click the image below for a larger version.) The doors to the facility will be opened 15 minutes before our meeting time.

Cuties Celebrate Canada 150 in Coquitlam

Cuties are ready to celebrate Canada 150 on July 1 with ukulele players of all ages at the City of Coquitlam’s big birthday bash! Join us between noon and 6pm for some singing and strumming!

We will be having an outdoor jam all day and be giving free ukulele lessons to all guests wanting to try their hands at a fun and happy instrument. Students earn certificates for participating in the ukulele lessons! Come also for the multi-colour ukulele hand stamps, too!

Learn to play “O Canada” on the ukulele with us! Come with a song to perform!

Our booth will be located on the Community Drive near the basketball courts. Look for the tent that has lots of ukuleles, flower leis, music stands and happy smiles!

See the map below for the location of our tent.

“Named one of the top 20 festivals in Metro Vancouver by Business in Vancouver, this is a free community festival with live music and entertainment, food, beverages, family activities and fireworks.”

— City of Coquitlam’s Celebrate Canada Day’s webpage

Event Parking

Limited parking will be available. Event-goers are encouraged to walk, bike, carpool or use skytrain. A free bike valet service will be available. Ride the SkyTrain’s Evergreen Extension to the Lafarge Lake – Douglas Station, it provides direct access to Town Centre Park.

A free shuttle bus will run from 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. between the site and Gleneagle Secondary School and free public parking will be available at:

See you all there!

Generous Sponsors Help Cutie Circle Amass 50 Ukulele Kits to Start Public Lending Collection at the Fraser Valley Regional Library

ukes

Do you know that starting in October, music lovers from Port Coquitlam to Boston Bar can partake in the joy of ukulele by borrowing the world’s happiest instrument from their local library?

That’s right! Fifty cheerful ukuleles complete with digital tuners and gig bags contributed by Cutie Circle, Empire Music, King’s Music, Ohana Music and our good friend, Linda Thiessen, are coming to the 25 branches of the Fraser Valley Regional Library (FVRL) Uke ’n Play Collection (FVRL’s media release). The generous sponsors are committed to bringing music to the people and supported this project right from the start! The dream of putting one uke in every home is getting one step closer to reality!

Thanks to the friendly ukulele players at the Terry Fox Library (who disguised themselves as smiley librarians) in Port Coquitlam, the Cuties and FVRL collaboration was formed in February!

Library

Serving a population of 700,000, the FVRL will add the joy of making music to its offerings. In its typical library fashion, the FVRL will include ukulele instruction books to the lot and assemble them nicely into carrying bags to round out the 50 ukulele kits!

The ukulele lending collection includes a variety of styles and colours to suit different tastes and levels of playfulness. From the standard figure-eight shaped brown soprano ukuleles, to their red glossy cousins, to the huggable pineapple cuties, to the thin-line arched back travel-size ukes decorated with abalone and pearl inlays, there is a ukulele to appeal to every aspiring ukester!

Here’s a sample of the fun collection.

Ukulele #02

Ukulele #23

Ukulele #38

Ukulele #50

What’s more? The strings of each uke have been carefully stretched by members of the Cutie Circle. In fact, the Cuties have lovingly strummed a handful of happy tunes into the tummy of each and every uke to get the instruments well on their way to meeting their new friends in the Lower Mainland and the Fraser Valley. The hope of the Cuties is, of course, that all the people the ukes will touch can then build on these happy vibes and spread the music to their friends and families.

The Cuties also had a farewell party for the ukes to give these babies a grand send-off.

Courtesy of Jerry S.

The official launch of the lending collection will take place at five of the FVRL locations:

Uke ’n Play launch events will be held at five FVRL locations. Please contact the library for more details.

Tsawwassen Library: Friday, September 30, 2 p.m.– 2:45 p.m.
Chilliwack Library: Saturday, October 1, 3 p.m.– 4:30 p.m.
Terry Fox Library: Tuesday, September 27 at 7 p.m.
City of Langley Library: Friday, September 30, 2 p.m.– 3 p.m.
Mission Library: Saturday, October 1, 2 p.m.– 4 p.m.

The ukuleles will be in your neighbourhood in October!

Are you ready?!

Cutie Circle’s 2016 – 2017 Calendar