(10.9) The annual Pronk! celebration takes place this year all day and into the night at Dexter Park featuring local Indigenous musicians and artists as well as an impressive roster of local, national, and international Community of HONK! musicians, street brass bands, and percussion ensembles. I’m going to go out on a limb and say the weather report looks favorable. Head over to the PRONK! 2023: Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration on Monday and recognize the people who really discovered America while having a good time.
The Haus of Glitter greets the day with yoga at 10am, but the Opening Ceremonies, featuring the Eastern Medicine Singers (seen here) and the Pronk! Royal Court, kick off at 11am.
Judging from the the IG page, a variety of music is on tap including the Detroit Party Marching Band, the Undertow Brass Band, Saint Nichét, the Blackout Drum Squad, the Providence Drum Troupe (natch), and the day ends with Sidy Maiga and The Bridge Where We Meet starting at 10pm. There’s much more.
What is PRONK!? Since 2007, the Providence Honk Fest has been a family-friendly, music and art festival, featuring activist-centered brass bands, percussion ensembles, musicians and performers. Spawned in Somerville, Massachusetts, HONK! has grown into a new type of street band movement across the country.
I do miss the prior location under the I-Way, clambering around and atop the hurricane barrier with it’s unique acoustic effects, and the parade down Wickenden Street. But there will be more room in Dexter Park.
(Photo of Eastern Medicine Singers, cropped for formatting, comes courtesy of photographer James Lastowski.)
Free, 10am to 10pm, Monday, October 9, Dexter Park, Parade Street, (directions)