Greater Taichung's ultimate showcase for food, music & fun: Compass Festival reaches the Big 10

May 18 & 19, 2013 at Art Museum Parkway

By Douglas Habecker
Translated by Angel Pu

Fully experiencing the dining, nightlife and entertainment scene in any large city can be a challenge, even for folks with plenty of hands on their time (which most of us don't). For residents and visitors in Taichung, however, there is thankfully one big solution to this challenge: Compass Festival.

Although this big annual, two-day event--also known as the Compass Taichung International Food & Music Festival--is taking place for its 10th year, what is striking is not how much but, rather, how little this event has changed over the years. That is because its basic goal has remained the same--providing one place and one time where Taichung's multi-dimensional dining, nightlife and live-music scene can be experienced in a nutshell. In doing so, it is also an embodiment of event organizer Compass Magazine's mission and service to Greater Taichung City, which is no surprise as the festival also serves as the magazine's "birthday party".

Granted, the festival has grown enormously since its inception a decade ago, when it was a one-day event featuring 20 vendor booths and four bands. By contrast, the last few years have seen anywhere between 60 to 100 vendor booths and as many as 18 bands. The 2013 Compass Festival will be no exception when it takes place Saturday-Sunday, May 18-19 at its regular "home", the attractive Art Museum Parkway. The fun kicks off just after noontime and continues each day until about 9:30 p.m.

It is not rare for Compass Magazine editors and writers to hear from readers, especially Taiwanese ones, who express pleasant surprise at Taichung's diversity of international cuisine and establishments after reading the publication for the first time. Anyone who has glanced through dozens and dozens of restaurant listings and wondered about the food and drinks they offer certainly won't want to pass up this festival, which offers the chance to sample an exotic diversity of food and drink from around the world, all within a space no longer than 100 meters. If that weren't enough, the Art Museum Parkway itself is an attractive cornucopia of cuisine and restaurants.

This year's mix of international and local food and drinks will include vendors such as Pizza Buena, Heima Spanish Food, Eat Some More caterers, Maison De Chine hotel, Dan D Pak imported foods, Ganesh Indian Restaurant, Mr. India Indian Restaurant, PJ's Cafe, Oldies Frank's Hotdogs, Wild West Tex-Mex Restaurant, Moon Cheese bakery, Lippolis Gelato, Orgasmo's cocktails, Soho 7, BeMo's healthy wraps, Juan Valdez, Onepro Pineapple Cakes, and the Xin Yue Wu Tong group, whose Parkway restaurants include Garden at Giverny, Santorini and 1924 Shanghai. When it comes to beverages for hot May days, one of course should not forget perennial Compass Festival Official Beer Sponsor Taiwan Beer, which will be selling cold beer for great prices.

Over the years, the festival's non-food/drinks vendors have also grown to include a wide range of stores, services, non-profit organizations and charities, and artists. This year, these will include Wagor High School, Free Bright Sunglasses, Taipei Language Institute, Three Star Nepali Handicrafts, M'as M'as handicrafts, ITC Coffee, Heart of Taiwan animal-care charity, Jen-Ai Foundation and Official Event Sponsor World Gym.

After Compass Festival's original event, its full name quickly changed from "International Food Festival" to "International Food & Music Festival", reflecting the equal importance of live music. Just like it is with cuisine and restaurants, many first-time festival visitors are impressed by the sheer number, diversity and talent of Taichung-based live bands on display. Musical genres also range across various styles of rock to hip-hop, blues, jazz, folk and country.

This year's full line-up includes: Manmanlai, Megan Dooley & Rachel McPhail, Vicious Cabaret, Gypsi & Native Space, Mike Mudd, 2 Acres Plowed, Peaks, Reniculous Lipz, Wailin' Soul, Vagabond Deluxe, The Lyres, 3 Day Bender, Flintstones, San Jiao Mao, Hell Bent Angels, Reider Band, Chen Mo, and the Ever So Friendlies.

As always, Compass Magazine publishers Donovan Smith and Douglas Habecker are expressing tremendous gratitude to the Official Sponsors who make this event possible: Taiwan Beer, World Gym, Corning Taiwan, Taichung City Government Information Bureau, and media sponsors Sunny FM 89.1 and TRA News. Holding the event each year at its attractive venue also wouldn't be possible without the support and close cooperation of the Art Garden Parkway Management Committee and its current chairman Dr. DJ Chen (of National Veterinarian Hospital).

Organizers are once again estimating an overall festival attendance of between about 18,000 and 20,000, making this one of the largest annual international events in Central Taiwan. As is the case each year, the event will go on rain or shine with rain/shade tents provided for participants to rest under. That means there is no reason for anyone to miss out on this ultimate Taichung dining/nightlife/music showcase.

GETTING THERE
The Festival venue can easily be located via Compass Magazine's Art Museum Parkway Map. From the main entrance plaza of the National Taiwan Museum of Natural Science on WuQuan West Road, Section 1, head south for two blocks on either WuQuan West 3rd or 4th streets and you'll come to the main event area. In addition to streetside public parking, three are large parking lots at the museum and a five minutes walk away on CunZhong (TsuenJung) Street (see Parkway Map), just off of MeiCun Road. Note: Public restrooms are available at the parkway committee's on southwest back corner of the venue at 59, WuQuan 7th Street, 2F.

Inquiries about the Festival may be directed to Compass Magazine at (04) 2358-5466 during weekday office hours.

Band Schedule

5/18 (Saturday)
12:45-1:20 pm - Manmanlai
1:20-1:55 pm - Megan Dooley & Rachel McPhail
2 pm - Vicious Cabaret
3 pm - Gypsi & Native Space
4 pm - Mike Mudd
5 pm - 2 Acres Plowed
6 pm - Peaks
7 pm - Reniculous Lipz
8 pm - Wailin' Soul

5/19 (Sunday)
12:45-1:20 pm - Vagabond Deluxe
1:20-1:55 - The Lyres
2 pm - 3 Day Bender
3 pm - Flintstones
4 pm - San Jiao Mao
5 pm - Hell Bent Angels
6 pm - Reider Band
7 pm - Chen Mo
8 pm - Ever So Friendlies