Tacoma’s Loudest Neighborhood Party Returns to McKinley Hill

McKinley Hill Is About to Become One Big Street Band

You may hear Tacoma HONK! Fest before you see it. On Saturday, October 3, bands will fill the streets and alleys of the McKinley Hill Business District, turning a walk through the neighborhood into a free, moving music festival.

There’s a chance to catch the sound early. Host band Tacomarama will play a pre-festival concert Friday, October 2, first at Beware Coffee at 6 p.m., then at the McKinley Hill VFW at 6:45 p.m. The main festival follows on Saturday, with its first scheduled performance at noon.

HONK! is built for wandering. Four performance areas are spread through the business district, and the organizers encourage people to move between them on foot, stopping when a rhythm catches their attention. There’s room to dance, and the audience is welcome to join in.

The lineup brings together Tacoma groups and street bands from around the Pacific Northwest. Lincoln Drum Line opens at noon; later sets across the festival include Tacomarama, Steel Rain, Bad Weather Brass, Filthy Fem Corps and many more.

That mix is part of the fun. Follow the brass around a corner and you may encounter a different group—or a different kind of sound—at the next performance area. You can plan around a favorite band, but there’s plenty of room to discover one.

Saturday’s schedule continues into the evening, including Tacomarama at 6 p.m. and THONK! karaoke listed for 6:30 p.m. Admission is free.

Tacoma HONK! Fest is run entirely by volunteers. Its host, the all-ages Tacomarama Community Street Band, also plays at neighborhood celebrations including Tacoma Porchfest and the Tacoma Light Trail Parade.

If you’re going, the organizers recommend walking, biking or taking transit to McKinley Hill. Check the festival map and current set times before you head out—then let the music guide you from one corner to the next.