Happening now: HONK Fest West fills The Junction with music

The party has started – and it’s a raucous one! Starting at the Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor) courtyard and heading southward, HONK Fest West is bringing more than five hours of marching-band style music to venues around The Junction – free! – starting with Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band from Boston (seen and heard in our iPhone clip above). Schedule and maps here. ADDED 4:41 PM: We just took another spin, north to south, along California and caught up with several bands. We’ll break most of the video into a separate story later – including our short march alongside one of the bands – but in case you still haven’t made it down (some accounts say there’ll be music till 6) – here’s the exuberance of the Hungry Marching Band on the north side of the Walk-All-Ways intersection, in front of Cupcake Royale (WSB sponsor):

5 Replies to "Happening now: HONK Fest West fills The Junction with music"

  • Wundrgrrrl April 11, 2010 (3:34 pm)

    Wow, if you’ve not dropped by yet, you still have time! Incredibly fun… Not your “normal” marching bands at all. Lots of costumes and energy. Music ranging from gypsy to punk to funk to ragtime and everything you can’t even imagine. What a great afternoon of fun!

  • whitestuart April 11, 2010 (7:06 pm)

    This was the best! I had never heard of HONKFEST and so I went to check it out. What a blast! Joyful people in crazy outfits, enjoying life and the sunny day. I hope W SEA invites the HONKFEST back. I think this kind of street event is even better than the SummerFest. I loved the crowd and the families, kids dancing, performers were very enthusiastic and the crowds around me loved it. Well Done Honkfest! Hope to see you next yr!

  • d April 11, 2010 (7:14 pm)

    Agreed Wundergrrrl! Some awesome good fusion going on! I heard klezmer and rap in there, as well. Hard to describe this production that seemed a Fellini-esque frolic of deadhead costuming and rock percussion, punks leading USC marching band brass, and symphony class winds. Just wow.

    I hope they make it back. My vote is this becomes a tradition. And I think they need to invite some nice belly dancers to go with.

    Just a thought.

  • Rose April 11, 2010 (10:22 pm)

    I live right over Cupcake Royale, and so the HONKing happened right under my window … and I loved every minute of it. So did my dog. I’d like to have more of this kind of joyful, noisy, goofy, glad-to-be-alive celebration. Let’s have HONK back … but let’s not wait a year for another chance to have this much fun!

  • tt April 12, 2010 (10:06 am)

    Uhhhhhhhhhh, what? I could of done without the crazy outfits..sometimes people go a little too far!!! Symphony class winds d?

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