A strumming good time

ARCADIA — Feet were stomping to the beat of the ukulele as it filled the Arcadia Round Barn on Sunday during a monthly music festival.

“We have some really, really good musicians come up and take part in this,” said Joe Baxter, volunteer music coordinator for the Arcadia Round Barn. “The community loves it, and it is wide open and free.”

Nearly 200 people came out to the first-ever Round Barn Rendezvous Ukulele Festival.

“I am personally acquainted with some ukulele players, and I am really impressed by their enthusiasm and motivation to learn,” Baxter said. “Music at the barn is a tradition.”

Every second Tuesday of the month, the free Round Barn Rendezvous is held in the loft of the barn.

“We are upholding the tradition of the barn,” Baxter said, who has been volunteering at the round barn for multiple years.

Having music at the Round Barn brought people from across the state together, and varying ages of people came out to play. Baxter said his main goal is to keep the event casual and stress free.

The Round Barn also hosts Morning Music Sessions from 10 a.m. to noon on Friday and Saturday.

The Round Barn is seeking volunteers. For more information or to become a Round Barn volunteer, contact volunteer coordinator Kimberly Burk at 405-651-0240 or burkkimberly1@gmail.com.

[PHOTOS BY ERIECH TAPIA, FOR THE OKLAHOMAN] Truman Hall, 3, of Guthrie, plays the ukulele on Sunday at the Round Barn. Lisa Harper, with the Misspent Ukes group out of Stillwater, plays the ukulele during the Arcadia Round Barn music festival.

Jeff Howard, president of the OKC Ukulele Group, plays with Janice Francis-Smith on Sunday.