Beer, bonfires and bands on the beach

For the second time in as many years, a regular old-fashioned beach party will take place at Honeymoon Bay (蜜月灣) tomorrow, bringing together bands, beer and bonfires for a day and a night of outdoor festivities.

At least three bands and maybe more will play music between 2pm and 2am Saturday on the black sand beach of Honeymoon Bay, which is located near the Tahsi (大溪) train station in Ilan County, about two hours from Taipei by train. There will be no admission charge, and music will come from Taiwan's top party band, Milk, and two other groups of expats from Hsinchu, the Smoking Cones and the Anglers. Milk returns to the beach party for the second year. Last year they held the stage with a jam that lasted nearly five hours.

All the bands will play inside a concrete structure on the beach left over from a failed development project. In the event of rain, which is common in the late afternoon but not predicted, the structure is large enough to provide shelter for performers and beach-heads alike.

Honeymoon Bay is northern Taiwan's most popular surf beach, and has progressively drawn larger crowds of weekend campers and beach-goers in recent years. The event is sponsored by Jeff and Tom Sun, proprietors of the oldest surf shop in Tahsi, along with a group of expatriate surfers who maintain a house in the area.

As the last trains returning to Taipei depart from Tahsi at around 9:45pm, those who plan on staying late are urged to bring camping supplies. Organizers are also asking attendees to make plans for food, as the town of Tahsi has only a few restaurants. Though they are trying to bring food vendors from the larger Ilan town of Toucheng, they could not confirm their availability by yesterday.

In any event, the Tahsi fish market will provide ample opportunity for barbecue for those willing to make the 20-minute walk north of the beach. The market is open until about 4 or 5pm daily.

While food and lodging may present minor hassles, there should be plenty of beer. Organizers will have 50 cases of Heineken on hand, selling it for NT$50 a can.