--Oct. 28 updated

2016康百視雜誌台中國際美食音樂節
2016 Compass Taichung International Food & Music Festival

Time: 1-9 pm, Oct. 29、30 (Sat-Sun)
Venue: Calligraphy Greenway

The 13th Compass Taichung International Food & Music Festival, one of Taichung’s largest and longest-running annual international events, will be moving to an all-new location on the popular Calligraphy Greenway when it takes place on the weekend of Oct. 29-30, 2016. 

Otherwise, the main focus and content of this year’s Compass Festival remains relatively unchanged as it showcases Greater Taichung’s best dining, coffee/tea, nightlife, shopping, artists and live music to residents and visitors.  Between about 1 and 9:30 p.m. on both days, participants to this free, public event will be able to enjoy over 50 vendor booths selling a variety of international and local cuisine and drinks, clothing, footwear, handicrafts, art and other products. The one other major aspect and attraction of the Compass Festival each year is live music.

Exclusive Official Beer Sponsor Taiwan Beer will also have a special tent, as will official sponsor World Gym.  Other event sponsors this year include the Corning Taiwan, Taichung City Government Information Bureau, and media sponsors Sunny FM89.1 and ICRT FM100.1.

This year’s vendors include: Taiwan Beer, World Gym, Stay In Cafe, Chef Tony's, Wan Li Ching, Moon Cheese Bakery, A Sensory Travel Experience, Bella Gelateria, PJ's Cafe, Oldies Franks Hotdogs, Lippolis, Indian Fast Food, Three Stars Nepal Shop, Chillies Indian Restaurant, Ottoman Turkish Kebap, The Frog Mexican Restaurant, Voronezh Russian Cuisine, Uptowner Taichung, Finga's Fine Foods, Le Cellier des Le Poetes, AR's Patisserie, Kuang Wei Qing, Pisa Pizza, Qi Le Shao Japanese Grill, Bollywood, Ongoro, Pipe Restaurant, English Cider, Orgasmo, PurpleMoon Bistro, Cha Ling Company, Heartyoga, Ceramic Color, Bura, Jon Renzella, Portraits of Taiwan, Praneeta Vaidya, December Gallery, Taiwan Rox, Nigel's Homemade Ice Cream, Empanda da /Zomora etc.

The festival is also an ideal way to find out more about and support a variety of local non-profit organizations, charities and institutions such as International Women's Association of Taichung, Heart Of Taiwan Animal Care, Taichung Hash House Harriers, Taiwan Universal Animal Protection Association, American School in Taichung, Providence University, Kuang Tien General Hospital, and Hong Yu Social Welfare Foundation, and Hongdao Senior Citizens Welfare Foundation, Krispy Kreme, Creepy Scream Halloween, etc.  

2016 Compass Fest Band Schedule

Saturday 10/29
12:30 pm 内兒 (Nell)
1 pm Dr. Boo w/ Michael Farris
2 pm The Manner Kings 禮貌王
2:30 pm The So-so's
3 pm Shapemaster
4 pm Poise
5 pm 嘻扣樂團 (C chord)
6 pm Moss
7 pm 大MET(A)4
8 pm Point 22 (.22) 點二二

Sunday 10/30
12:30 pm Pat Reid
1:30 pm PhiloSophia
2:30 pm Dirty Skies
3:30 pm Ho Da La
4:30 pm 低水平樂團 (Talking Without Sense)
5:30 pm San Jiao Mao (三腳貓)
6:30 pm 暗樂團 (DARK)
7:30 pm Dread Rider

--Oct. 7 posted

2016 Compass Festival moves to a new location on 10/29-30, 1-9 pm

Words by Douglas Habecker
Translated by Anna Yang

As last year's very successful Compass Taichung International Food & Music Festival demonstrated, things that may at first seem negative can turn out to be very positive in the end. In that case, torrential May rains led to a postponement and rescheduling of the festival to September. It also led organizers at this magazine to permanently move this annual event to September-October period, a decision that was widely praised by participants and vendors alike.

　

Unexpectedly, 2016 has provided fresh challenges for Compass Festival organizers, who were informed that this event's long-term "home" on the Art Museum Parkway would be undergoing a large-scale renovation project in the fall which would put it off-limits. This has resulted in the first location change in about a decade for the festival, which will be taking place on the weekend of Oct. 29-30 (1-9 p.m.) in an even more popular site--Taichung's well-known and extremely popular Calligraphy Greenway. This scenic and attractive landmark greenbelt--specifically a section about half-way between Taiwan Boulevard and GongYi Road--will be the site for one of Taichung's biggest and longest-running annual international celebrations.

What isn't changing for this year's 13th Compass Festival are the many highlights that help draw an estimated 15,000-20,000 participants over the weekend. This includes about 50-60 vendor booths run by an eclectic international sampling of Taichung's restaurants, cafes, tea houses, bars, shops and other businesses, offering all manner of reasonably-priced food and beverages, not to mention other non-food services and products, from local artists to Official Sponsor World Gym. Vendors (at print time) include: Stay In Cafe, Chef Tony's, A Sensory Travel Experience, Oldies Franks Hotdogs, Indian Fast Food, Three Stars Nepal Shop, Chillies Indian Restaurant, Anatolia Turkish Restaurant, The Frog Mexican Restaurant, Moon Cheese Bakery, artist Jon Renzella, Finga's Fine Foods, Ceramic Color, Kuang Wei Ching Restaurant, AR's Patisserie, Anita's Hot Sauce, Pisa Pizza, Ongoro Wine Shop, Bura, and Le Cellier des Le Poetes wine shop.

As usual, thirsty festival-goers will also be able to drink their fill of cold Taiwan Beer, provide by Compass Festival's perennial Official Beer Sponsor. The festival is also an ideal way to find out more about and support a variety of local non-profit organizations, charities and institutions--such as International Women's Association of Taichung, Heart Of Taiwan Animal Care, Taichung Hash House Harriers, Taiwan Universal Animal Protection Association, American School in Taichung, Providence University, Kuang Tien General Hospital, Hongyu Social Welfare Foundation, and Hongdao Senior Citizens Welfare Foundation--which will have booths on site.

Great food and drink are just one half of the Compass Festival equation, with the other being live music. For its entire history, the festival has aimed to provide Taichung's original-music bands and musicians with a high-profile stage in a show of support for musical creativity and live music in general. This year's event will once again showcase a musical cornucopia that includes bands such as Dread Rider, 大MET 4, San Jiao Mao, .22, Shapemaster, So-Sos, Poise and The Liquidators, playing a variety of rock, hip-hop, funk, reggae and other styles. For the latest updates on the band schedule, check the Compass event page on Facebook (see below).

Besides Taiwan Beer and World Gym, other Official Sponsors for the 2016 Compass Festival include the Taichung City Government Information Bureau and Corning Taiwan, plus media sponsors Sunny FM89.1 and ICRT.

All this is part of the Compass Festival's long-stated goal (shared by this magazine) of highlighting to residents and outside visitors the best that Taichung has to offer when it comes to eating, drinking, playing and fun. With the exception of typhoons or torrential rain, the event--free and open to the public--will be taking place rain or shine with rain/shade tents provided. To receive the latest updates, be sure and check Compass Magazine's Facebook event page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/160949963971919/?fref=ts or visit www.taiwanfun.com.

See you all there!!