Four months after a deluge of rain washed out one of Taichung’s most popular outdoor music festivals, the fun is back. The Compass Taichung International Food and Music Festival is set to take place this weekend at the Art Museum Parkway (美術綠園道).
And this time around, the weather should be much fairer. Music revelers can expect sunny skies on Saturday and Sunday with high temperatures in the lower 30s, as predicted by the Central Weather Bureau.
“It’s all part of supporting central Taiwan’s live music scene,” said Douglas Habecker, copublisher of Compass Magazine, which has sponsored the festival since its inception 11 years ago.
Photo courtesy of Basil Hall, Compass Magazine.
In a city with limited opportunities to see live music, this is a special event for Taichung, said Habecker. More than four years after a deadly nightclub fire, the city’s once vibrant musical scene has yet to rebound, following the shuttering of numerous bars and and live music venues.
Musical genres range from rock to reggae. Dread Rider, Dr Reniculous Lipz & the Skallyunz, Peaks and Point 22 are a few of the 16 bands expected to take the stage over the two-day event.
New this year is a performance by Huludun Smile, a teenage taiko drum troupe, which earlier this year placed third in a taiko competition in Japan.
Also on tap will be upwards of 70 vendors offering food, drink, clothing and handmade arts and crafts. Aside from Taiwanese cuisine, international food options will include Mexican, Turkish, German and American fare.
In addition to giving people a reason to listen to live music and have some outdoor fun, the festival serves as a birthday party. Compass Magazine is celebrating 21 years of promoting Taichung’s cultural scene.
“It’s a reunion of sorts,” Habecker said. “So many people come up to me and tell me that this festival is their favorite weekend of the year.”
To avoid the plum rain season in future years, the festival will be permanently moved to late summer or early fall, Habecker said. “It’s big change,” he said. “It wasn’t the initial choice, but I think it’s for the better.”
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