HONK! TX Festival of Community Street Bands

An outgrowth of the Honk Festival established in Somerville, Massachusetts in 2006, Honk!TX brings together a nationwide community of activist marching bands and community-rooted union of art, activism, and music for a three day event in several different venues located in East and Central Austin. Austin’s own Minor Mishap Marching Band organized the first HONK!TX along with other local arts and culture groups for it's debut in 2011 and continues to be the driving force behind this annual event. Community street bands range in size from 4 to 40 members usually performing in public spaces without amplification or stages wearing band colors and home made uniforms and playing original, traditional, and borrowed music on a wide variety of instruments while encouraging lively audience participation. The repertoire and inspiration for community marching band music comes from a diverse set of folk music traditions, including New Orleans second line brass bands, European klezmer, Balkan and Romani music, and Brazilian Afro Bloc and Frevo traditions, as well as the passion and spirit of Mardi Gras and Carnaval. The dates for the 2013 Honk! Texas festival are Friday, March 22 through Sunday, March 25, 2013.