HONK!TX is a 3-day Community Street Band Festival that features some of the most exciting, original, and talented radical marching bands playing absolutely free in the streets and parks of Austin. After a successful debut and a wonderful sophomore encore, we are returning for our exciting third year March 22-24, 2013.

For the past two years HONK!TX brought live music into Austin with unconventional style and flair, transforming everyday spaces into organic stages where the line between performers and the crowd dissolves. The response was magical, and performers and audience eagerly wondered aloud: when will the next HONK!TX be? Well, with your help - it's coming again in March 2013!

For the duration of the Festival, more than 200 musicians will be housed by generous neighbors and friends; local restaurants will provide food for performers and volunteers. Scores of community members will donate hundreds of hours of labor to make HONK!TX a brass-tastic success. In return, 20+ bands will transform the city into a joyful sonic carnival and visual spectacle, at no cost to the public.

The bands vary greatly in size and costume, each of them bringing a distinct sound and visual theme to the carnivalesque atmosphere This multi-day free and family-friendly event about music, community, and public space is imbued with the playful energy these bands are famous for.

Did you know none of the bands will be earning any money for the festival? They travel and play free because to share the love and joy of street music and expression. The modest stipends some bands receive cover only some of their travel expenses. This is where you come in!

Photo credit: Mike*Antares