HONK! Festival 2012: October 4-8, 2012

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HONK! in a presidential election year! Has a particular ring to it. A raucous reverberating resounding rambunctious ring, that this year will be mightier than ever in waking up the drowsy and encouraging them to romp and stomp! Newly invigorated by a successful Kickstarter campaign, HONK! is ready to kick out some serious activist street jams. HONK! – national in scope, with annual HONK!s also being held throughout the year in Austin, Seattle, Providence, Brooklyn – has its roots right here, specifically in Davis Square, Somerville.

Seven years ago, 12 activist street bands got together to experiment in a new way of raising awareness about all sorts of socio-political issues that seemed to be clamoring for attention. As of last count, there are 34 bands coming this year from as close by as Somerville to as far flung as Italy. Almost three times as many bands to exert more than thrice the HONK! muscle! Hitting the streets to prove that having a HONK!ing good time can indeed be a driving force for positive change in the world.

From October 4th through 8th, there will be many mostly free opportunities to experience the HONK! craze, with outdoor concerts, a massive parade and smaller processions, affordably priced indoor concerts, and a symposium, all taking place in Somerville and Cambridge neighborhoods. There will also be plenty of chances for folks to jump in at the last minute, to cross that invisible line from audience to participant, and be actively involved in the fun-making. For example, individual musicians, not connected to any particular HONK! band, are invited to participate on Sunday, October 7th, in the impromptu "community band" which will be part of the gigantic HONK! Parade to Reclaim the Streets for Horns, Bikes and Feet.

Festival updates can be found at www.honkfest.org, http://twitter.com/honkfest, and www.facebook.com/honkfestival, or by calling 617-383-HONK (4665). Listed below is the festival schedule as it now stands:

2012 WEEKEND SCHEDULE
(keep checking in for updates at www.honkfest.org/schedule)

Thursday, October 4, 7 pm:
Pre-HONK! Musical Showcase For Visiting HONK! Bands
Throughout Union Square, Somerville
For information: 617-383-HONK (4665), contact@honkfest.org

Friday, October 5, 3 pm-5 pm:
HONK! In The Neighborhoods
HONK! bands play for community and after-school groups.
For information: 617-383-HONK (4665), contact@honkfest.org

Friday, October 5, 7 pm-9 pm:
Lantern Parades
Sidewalk HONK! processions around Davis Square, Somerville, accompanied by bike lights, paper lanterns, flashlights, and other forms of DIY lighting.
Open community lantern-making workshops from 4 pm-6 pm, held prior to the lantern parades which start and end in Hodgkins Park near Davis Square.
Free and open to all; rain or shine.

Friday, October 5, 7:30 pm-1 am:
HONK! Kick-Off
A showcase for several HONK! bands.
Johnny D's Uptown, 17 Holland St., Davis Square, Somerville
[Conveniently located near the Davis Square stop on the Red Line and several MBTA bus connections.]
Ticket: $12 general admission, available at the door.

Saturday, October 6, 12:30 pm-1 pm:
HONK! Opening Ceremonies
Held at 7 Hills Park
Davis Square, Somerville
[Conveniently located near the Davis Square stop on the Red Line and several MBTA bus connections.]
Free and open to all; rain or shine.

Saturday, October 6, 1 pm – 9 pm:
HONK! In Davis Square: The Main Event
Free Outdoor Concerts:
Thirty-four (or more!) activist street bands, current roster:
AfroBrazil, Brass Balagan, Brass Liberation Orchestra, Brass Messengers, The Bread & Puppet Theater Circus Band, Caka!ak Thunder, Carnival Band, Chaotic Insurrection Ensemble, Chaotic Noise Marching Corp, Church Marching Band, Detroit Party Marching Band, Dirty Water Brass Band, DJA-Rara, EE-Environmental Encroachment, Emperor Norton's Stationary Marching Band, Expandable Brass Band, Extraordinary Rendition Band, Forward! Marching Band, Gora Gora Orkestar, Hill Stompers, Himalayas, Leftist Marching Band, Loyd Family Players, Lungs Face Feet, Minor Mishap Marching Band, Pink Puffers Brass Band, The Primate Fiasco, Rude Mechanical Orchestra, Second Line Social Aid & Pleasure Society Brass Band, Seed and Feed Marching Abominable, tint(A)nar, Veveritse, What Cheer? Brigade, and Young Fellaz Brass Band.
Davis Square, Somerville
[Conveniently located near the Davis Square stop on the Red Line and several MBTA bus connections.]
Free and open to all; rain or shine (nearby back-up venues in case of downpour).

Sunday, October 7, noon – 2 pm (11 am assembly):
HONK! Parade From Davis Square To Harvard Square
HONK! Parade to "Reclaim the Streets for Horns, Bikes and Feet":
Featuring all the HONK! bands plus the Bread & Puppet Theater, the impromptu "community band, " and many local arts and community organizations, such as Green Streets Initiative, Bikes Not Bombs, 350.org, Open Air Circus, Puppeteers Cooperative, Livable Streets, and Sprout. Parading from Davis Square to Harvard Square's Oktoberfest celebration; the parade assembles in Davis Square, Somerville, at 11 am, leaving Davis at 12 noon, travelling down Elm Street, then Beech Street onto Massachusetts Ave. to Harvard Square, Cambridge, to participate in Oktoberfest. Led by the Mayors of Somerville and Cambridge. Those wishing to participate in the parade or to volunteer as a parade facilitator, contact parade@honkfest.org.
[Conveniently located near the Davis, Porter, and Harvard Square stops on the Red Line and several MBTA bus connections.]
Free and open to all; rain or shine.

Sunday, October 7, 2:15 pm-6 pm:
HONK! Oktoberfest:
Several HONK! bands will be featured in Harvard Square's Oktoberfest.
[Conveniently located near the Harvard Square stop on the Red Line and several MBTA bus connections.]
Free and open to all; rain or shine.

Sunday, October 7, 8 pm:
HONK! All-Band Concert:
Venue to be announced

Monday, October 8, 10 am-2 pm:
HONK! Symposium
Workshops & Discussions
Gutman Library Harvard University, Graduate School of Education/Arts in Education Program
Appian Way, Cambridge
[Conveniently located near the Harvard Square stop on the Red Line and several MBTA bus connections.]
Free and open to all.

Leading up to this year's HONK! week, there are several preliminary events worth noting:

Running now through HONK! Festival weekend, 24 hrs./day:
HONK! Photo Exhibit
Featuring the work of photographers Mark Dannenhauer, Jesse Edsell-Vetter, and Ben Greenberg, all inspired by HONK! Festival 2011.
The Inside-Outside Gallery (aka the CVS windows)
CVS Pharmacy
1 Davis Square, Somerville
[Conveniently located near the Davis Square stop on the Red Line and several MBTA bus connections.]
Free and open to all.

Monday, September 10, 6:30-8:45 pm:
HONK! Volunteers and Parade Meeting
Sign-up gathering to help in all the ways that make HONK! possible. Individuals and groups interested in participating in the HONK! Parade to Reclaim the Streets for Horns, Bikes and Feet on Sunday of HONK! weekend are also encouraged to attend.
Somerville Public Library (West Branch)
40 College Ave., Somerville
[Conveniently located near the Davis Square stop on the Red Line and several MBTA bus connections.]

Wednesday, September 19, 10 am-11 pm:
HONK! Flatbread Pizza Benefit
Flatbread in Davis Sq. is donating a portion of the cost of every pizza pie purchased during the day to the HONK! Festival. From 6:30-7:30 pm, diners can look forward to be serenaded by a “chamber” version of the Second Line Social Aid and Pleasure Society Brass Band.
Flatbread Company
45 Day Street, Somerville.
[Conveniently located near the Davis Square stop on the Red Line and several MBTA bus connections.]

The HONK! Festival Committee would like to give special thanks to the following for their support of this year’s HONK! Festival [supporter updates at www.honkfest.org/supporters]: City of Somerville, the Somerville Arts Council, Harvard Square Business Association, MySecretBoston, Davis Square businesses, and last but not least, the local Davis Square community, whose support in terms of in-kind donations of food and public services, housing* for upwards of 650 musicians, and cash contributions, is vital to keeping the HONK! effort going.

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