Compass Taichung International Food & Music Festival 2014

May 24，25 (Sat.-Sun.), 1-9 pm, Art Museum Parkway

Words by Courtney Donovan Smith Translated by Angela Cheng
Photos by Basil Hall & Courtney Donovan Smith

Taichung has a well-deserved reputation for producing some of the best restaurants and bands on the island, and the Compass Festival has been a big part of that story for the last 10 years. So what can you expect from a day at the Compass Fest? It's free to attend, for one thing, making it an easy choice for an entertaining weekend. Most come with some money to spend, however, as the food options are varied and abundant, and it is common to be totally stuffed by late afternoon. The event, however, provides plenty of options to work those extra calories off. Almost everyone wanders through the event site, checking out the usually 70-plus vendor tents on site which, besides restaurants and pubs include some artists, handicrafts and charity organizations. Frequently there are activities on offer and street artists come to entertain. Laying on the grass with a drink and the watching the bands is popular and many get up to dance--especially to the party-friendly powerhouse bands that make up the evening line-up. Children also love the event, with all the ice cream, food and spectacles on offer. It is also, especially for many in the foreign community, a chance to reconnect with old friends and acquaintances not seen since...the year before at the same event! In honor of this year being the 20th anniversary of the Compass Magazine, past visitors will enjoy some of the upgrades this year to the 'look-and-feel' of the event.

Attracting large crowds and people from not only all over Taiwan but also from overseas as well, expect the crowd to be lively in the evening. This is widely considered the biggest independant annual festival event in Taichung, and the third largest after the government funded Jazz Festival and Rock in Taichung.

For foodies, this is a must-attend event, with restaurants and pubs from all over the city offering their wares, generally in the form of small-portion sizes for reasonable prices. This format allows visitors to sample the widest range of Taichung restaurants possible in one place. Fancy trying out Indian samosas from Mr India, Canadian poutine from Carmichael's, or Spanish tapas from Tapas-1? How about local mochi from Jiou Wei Mashu or Chinese delicacies from Xin Yue Wu Tong and Shanghai 1924? If you're hot, how about ice cream from Dan-D Pak or Lippolis, Turkish ice cream from Anatolia or Italian ice cream from I'S Gelato? Meat lovers will love hot dogs from Oldies or sausages from Finga's. These can be washed down with a local tea from Pu Tao Yuan, an English cider from Go West, a fancy cocktail from Orgasmo or even a new Taiwan Beer weissbier. These are only a very small fraction of the options available, as in recent years over 50 food and drink vendors participate, and this year is shaping up to be even bigger! This unparalleled opportunity to sample so many restaurants in one location is a big draw. There are even some boutiques participating featuring clothing and accessories, including Minke Boutique, Three Star Nepali, Bura, and Jandeys, as well as a wedding photography studio, Amani. Also, be sure to drop by and support some of the community booths that raise money for charity, including HOTAC and Taichung PAWS.

This is also a fun, but sometimes challenging, opportunity for restaurants and bars. Obviously, it is a great way for restaurants to get their name out to the foodie crowd, and a good way to reconnect with old patrons. It can be challenging, however, to keep up as the crowds swell in the early evening. With so many places coming back year after year, though, it is obviously a worthwhile challenge. Like this magazine, this festival has a special place in the development of the local dining scene.

It was in the fourth year of this event that 'Music' was formally added to the title. This was to honor the key role the bands have played over the years in making this event so distinctive. New bands appear every year at the festival and old bands return with their craft further honed and their repertoire expanded. All bands are central Taiwan-based and most or all of their sets are original songs written by the musicians themselves, so the emphasis is on showcasing local artistic talent, not the ability to cover other musicians' music. And not only are there local Taiwanese acts, but also bands with musicians from all over the world--making this event a great showcase for the local Taichung music scene.

As of this writing the band schedule isn't finalized, but bands who have confirmed they will participate cover a wide range of styles and backgrounds. Classic and popular entries include 3 Day Bender, Dread Rider, Dr Reniculous Lipz & The Skallyunz (白悟空), Ever So Friendlies, Peaks, Reider Band, San Jiao Mao (三腳貓 樂團) and The Lyrez. New entries this year include the legendary singer/songwriter Tako Niu (鈕大可), famed for his contributions to Taiwan's music scene. Also new this year are singer/songwriters Nell (內兒), and Joshua Dylan S. Powerhouse aboriginal group Lima Music (力瑪樂團), as well as new bands from well-known musicians Middle People (中堅 : 分子), The Gordon Brothers Band and 大META 4 are all eagerly anticipated. It is expected there will a total of 17 bands over the two days this years.

This year marks the 11th year of the festival, and celebrates the 20nd year of the founding of Compass Magazine.

Tel: (04) 2358-5466 Compass Mazagine