On Friday, Oct. 9, The Arts District Merchants Association and Honolulu Culture and Arts District will present the third annual “Taste of the Arts” Street Festival.
The festival, produced by Tim Bostock Productions, has a new title this year: Alternative Taste Street Festival. Presented in association with Honolulu’s gay/lesbian/bisexual and trans-sexual communities, it will celebrate the alternative styles of the Arts District downtown.
Three music stages and one DJ stage will provide continuous entertainment, and food and drink will be available. The event will take place from from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m..
Nuuanu Avenue will be closed from Chaplain Lane above Marks Garage to King Street, and Hotel Street will be closed from Bethel to Smith.
Pauahi Street will be closed from the Marks Garage exit to the Smith-Beretania lot exit.
The Main Stage at Pauahi and Nuuanu features hiphop-klezmer-funk mix from Haberdashery, hard local punk from 86List, celtic rock from Doolin Rakes and headliners Rolando Sanchez Salsa Band.
The stage at Hotel Street and Smith Street will feature a full “Chinatown Follies” drag show, featuring groups such as Lip Gloss, Paper Dolls and Gender Bender as well as Brandy Lee, Linda Brown, and emcee Raquel.
The Miller Lite DJ Car at the stage will host DJs from Hula’s Bar and Lei Stand. Nearby will be a dedicated wig stand from Roy Venters and LGW Institute of Hair and Design.
At Nuuanu and King streets, the Solo Stage will feature Millicent Cummings, Hope Mayo, and others, alongside poets from Youth Speaks Hawaii, improv artists, specialist fire dancers from Hawaii Fire Artists and a large bamboo rig featuring solo aerial performances from members of Samadhi Hawaii.
Latin DJs including The Lion of Judah will be spinning at Hotel and Nuuanu on the Red Bull DJ stage; mask and stilt walkers from Monkey Waterfall will be moving through the crowd; and psychic readers will be setting up folding tables on the sidewalks.
The Alternative Market will include information booths on many alternative lifestyle issues, offering activities and sharing materials on cultural and community services.
Most art galleries in the district will be open. Downtown parking will be open including Marks Garage lot.
Alternative Taste 2009 is presented by the nonprofit Honolulu Culture & Arts District Association, together with the Arts District Merchants Association
For more information, go to http://www.alternativetaste.com.