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.

2025 HONK! U – A Conference Celebrating 20 Years of Street Music Activism

The 2025 HONK! Festival will include a HONK! U Conference on Thursday, October 9 at Tufts University’s Department of Music, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with breakfast available starting at 9:00 a.m.

For more information, including how to register, please see here.

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

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

Full details to be posted soon.

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!

Full schedule to be posted here shortly.

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 Saturday schedule will be posted very soon.

ArtHONK!

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 will be posted very soon.