HONK! is a free, family-friendly, grassroots festival!

All HONK! events listed below are FREE and open to the public. This is the rough schedule of events for the weekend. More specific scheduling information will be posted as we get closer to the festival.

Pre-HONK! Brass Band Blowout in Union Square, Somerville

The semi-official Pre-HONK performances return to Union Square!

UNION SQ PLAZA – OUTSIDE – ALL AGES – 7-10p
7-7:35p: Dirty Water Brass Band
7:35-8:10p: Fly By Brass Band
8:10-8:45p: Brassterisk
8:45-9:20p: Ghost Town Brass Band
9:20-10p: Yes Ma’am Brass Band (Austin, TX)

THE JUNGLE – INSIDE – 21+ – 8-11:45p
8-8:45p: Brass Solidarity (Minneapolis, MN)
8:45-9:30p: Magnificent Danger
9:30-10:15p: Conical Cacophony
10:15-11p: Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band
11-11:45p: The Party Band

More information here.

Lantern-making workshops

4:00p-6:00p, Hodgkins-Curtin Park, Holland Street between Paulina St. and Simpson Ave in Somerville

Free and open to the public. People of all ages will join Puppeteers Cooperative, Spontaneous Celebrations, and Extinction Rebellion to make their own lanterns, and then meet us in the park before parades step off at 6:30 pm. More info can be found here.

Lantern parades

6:30p – 7:30p, stepping off from and returning to Hodgkins-Curtin Park, Somerville

These nighttime parades are small-scale processions, leaving from and returning to Hodgkins-Curtin Park and traversing the surrounding neighborhoods. We are inviting local artists and families to bring their own illuminations, and we also invite musicians to build lanterns, wear bike lights, glow sticks, any kind of blinking-glittering-glowing ornaments you like. More info can be found here.

Friday Night in Union Square

See HONK! bands play at multiple locations in Union Square, both within walking distance!

Three bands will play from 7PM to 9:30PM at Aeronaut Brewery, 14 Tyler Street, Somerville. Bands currently slated to play are:

• 7-7:55p: Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band
• 8-8:25p: Filthy Femcorps
• 8:30-9:25p: Young Fellaz Brass Band

Two bands will play from 7PM to 9PM at Bow Market, 1 Bow Market Way, Somerville. Bands currently slated to play are:

• 7-8p: Funkrust Brass Band
• 8-9p: Brass Solidarity

HONK! in Davis Square

Opening ceremonies at noon in Seven Hills Park.
Bands play all afternoon from 1pm to 9pm in locations around Davis Square rain or shine. Full schedule available here.

Elm Street Interactive Area

1pm – 5pm

We’re closing Elm Street to cars and turning it into a dynamic arena for interactive art making and activism. Please join in — work with our amazing HONK! artists to create something for yourself or for the Sunday Parade. Learn about some urgent issues with the grass roots volunteers and organizers working on community issues. Help amplify messages for positive change and activist causes with art! Full details here.

The HONK! Parade

12pm – 2pm down Mass. Ave. from Davis Square to Harvard Square

Full info (including parade route and street closings) can be found here.

Sunday in Harvard Square

Performances on the Main Stage and other performance venues at Oktoberfest 2pm to 6pm.
Full Sunday schedule is available here.