39th Annual Harvard Square Oktoberfest [10/08/17]

The Harvard Square Business Association is pleased to announce the return of the 39th Annual Oktoberfest and slightly irrepressible and fabulously madcap HONK! Parade on Sunday, October 8th, 2017. Come be a part of this unique, irreverent and family friendly annual tradition where musicians and spectators “reclaim the streets for horns, bikes and feet”!

Harvard Square’s Oktoberfest features food from all over the world, arts, crafts, vintage goods, free samples, sidewalk sales and one-of-a-kind gifts. In addition, Oktoberfest boasts six beer gardens hosted by Alden & Harlow, The Beat Brasserie, Charlie’s Kitchen, The Hourly Oyster House, John Harvard’s Brew House and The Sinclair.

This annual celebration of fall features live music, including a Passim stage and an all-HONK! Review on four different stages! Dancing in the streets is encouraged!

One of the highlights of the festival is the HONK! Parade which arrives in the Square at approximately 1pm. In its 12th year, the HONK! movement has become a global phenomenon. This year, 27 HONK! bands from around the country, including two new all women bands, Damas de Ferro from Rio de Janeiro and Seattle’s Filthy FemCorps will march from Davis Square to Harvard Square. Spectators will be treated to a horn-tooting, hand-clapping, foot-stomping, mind-blowing spectacle and are welcomed to join the back of the parade and make their way to Oktoberfest!

Oktoberfest in Harvard Square was started in 1978 by the late Frank Cardullo, a Square mover, shaker and owner of the renowned Wurtshaus, which served up traditional German food from 1917 until it closed in 1996. The early festivals were in keeping with old world customs. Over the years, the festival has taken on a more discerningly Cambridge vibe to become an Oktoberfest unlike any other.

Main Stage Schedule (in the Super Cross Walk in front of Out of Town News)

12pm – Dread Rocks dreadrocksreggae.com
1pm – The 12th Annual HONK! Parade
2pm – 6pm – All HONK! Review - a full schedule below:
2:00pm Forward! Marching Band
2:09pm Dead Music Capital Band
2:18pm Chaotic Noise Marching Corps
2:27pm Leftist Marching Band
2:36pm Black Sheep Ensemble
2:45pm Second Line Social Aid and Pleasure Society Brass Band
2:54pm Rara Bel Poze
3:03pm Filthy FemCorps
3:12pm Brass Liberation Orchestra
3:21pm Hartford Hot Several
3:30pm Hungry March Band
3:39pm What Cheer? Brigade
3:48pm Boycott
3:57pm Expandable Brass Band
4:06pm Banda de Paz
4:15pm Yes Ma’am Brass Band
4:24pm New Creations Brass Band
4:33pm Plezi Rara
4:42pm Dirty Water Brass Band
4:51pm ENSMB
5:00pm Extraordinary Rendition Band
5:09pm Brass Balagan
5:18pm Rude Mechanical Orchestra
5:27pm Damas de Ferro
5:36pm The Party Band
5:45pm School of Honk

Church Street - HONK! Stage

2:00pm Hartford Hot Several
2:30pm Expandable Brass Band
3:00pm Extraordinary Rendition Band
3:30pm Rara Bel Poze
4:00pm Boycott
4:30pm Forward! Marching Band
5:00pm Second Line Social Aid and Pleasure Society Brass Band
5:30pm What Cheer? Brigade

Charlie’s Kitchen - HONK! Stage

2:00pm Plezi Rara
2:30pm Yes Ma’am Brass Band
3:00pm Banda de Paz
3:30pm Dirty Water Brass Band
4:00pm Brass Liberation Orchestra
4:40pm Black Sheep Ensemble
5:20pm New Creations Brass Band

Eliot Triangle – HONK! Stage

2:00pm School of HONK!
2:30pm Brass Balagan
3:00pm The Party Band
3:30pm ENSMB
4:00pm Filthy FemCorps
4:40pm Dead Music Capital Band
5:20pm Chaotic Noise Marching Corps

Passim Stage (at the intersection of Brattle & Church Streets)

12:00pm The Late Risers facebook.com/thelaterisers
1:00pm Julia Mark juliamarkmusic.com
2:00pm David Champagne hereliesdavidchampagne.com
3:00pm The Wolff Sisters thewolffsisters.com
4:00pm Dietrich Strause dietrichstrause.com
5:00pm Corporate Punk mycorporatepunk.com

39th Annual Harvard Square Oktoberfest

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