The 2025 HONK! Festival will include a HONK! U Conference on Thursday, October 9 at Tufts University’s Department of Music, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with breakfast available starting at 9:00 a.m.

Twenty years ago, the first HONK! Festival was held in Davis Square, Somerville, as a celebratory public dissent. Today, street music—as practiced by brass bands to promote community-building, art, and activism—is more important than ever. This one-day event, which includes presentations, hands-on workshops, and skill-sharing, aims to bring together a community of scholars, band leaders, artists, activists, and others to explore and engage in innovative and practical applications of brass band and other forms of street music.