What is Funk Parade?
Funk Parade is a one-of-a-kind day fair, parade and music festival in DC's U Street neighborhood on Saturday, May 2nd, 2015. Funk Parade celebrates DC's vibrant music and arts, the U Street neighborhood, and the Spirit of Funk that brings us all together.
Last year's first-ever Funk Parade was unforgettable. Over 25,000 participants danced and sang along with over 100 hours of music programming from over four dozen acts in 30 locations throughout the day and night -- and most of you joined in the mighty Funk Parade itself!
This year is going to be even bigger and better. Funk Parade is supported by over 100 local businesses, civic groups, nonprofits and community leaders in and around our U Street neighborhood.
Last year the community helped raise nearly $11,000 through Indiegogo, funds that were critical in making it possible to celebrate the way U Street and DC deserves. This year’s Funk Parade will be even more amazing: more music in more places, more dancing, more parade! The more support from the community, the better the event will be.
What We Need & What You Get
This year’s campaign will allow us to expand on last years success. To do so we need $15,000 of community support. The bulk of the funds we raise through this campaign will go to pay for the amazing music, dance and art programming that will be on display during the day throughout the neighborhood. The funding also helps pay for the police and safety personnel required for growing the event.
We have some great perks lined up, from posters, shirts and other memorabilia to some pretty awesome stuff from local businesses. Here's just a few:
2015 Funk Parade t-shirts, buttons, magnets, posters and stickers.
Limited edition Funk Parade giclee art print.
Cherry Blossom Creative festival art map
Right Proper Brewing Company Growler Package
Waveborn sunglasses (every pair sold helps someone in need with sight restoring surgery).
A mixology class series with one of DC’s best bartenders, Derek Brown (of the Passenger, Eat the Rich, Mockingbird Hill, and Southern Efficiency).
Additionally below the $40 level, if you donate you will be automatically get a chance to win a Chuck Levins Funky Bass Prize which includes a Fender Bass Pack and a Roland Boss BB1X Pedal
Finally, donate at any perk above $40 and you are entered into a chance to win a 2015 FREE PASS for TWO to all DC9 Shows.
What Do You Mean By Funk?
FUNK [fuhngk] (n) -- the subatomic particle of love.
The Spirit of Funk is that part of the music that makes you want to get up and dance, be with other people, and feel like the world is all right. It's in the roots of DC music, and it's ingrained in the past and present of U Street. It's in jazz, R&B, latin, reggae, go-go, afrobeat, funk, soul, gospel and so much more. The Spirit of Funk unites, it brings together people of all ages, cultures and backgrounds.
The Day’s Events
Here’s how this year’s schedule for the Funk Parade is shaping up:
Day Fair (12-5 PM): Before the parade, the neighborhood will host a day fair, full of music, dance, art and spontaneous acts of soul and creativity. It's a chance to gather and celebrate and prepare for the mighty parade!
The Main Event - Funk Parade (5-7 PM): See dancers, your friends and neighbors, a marching band behind them, and a drum corps. See costumes and getups and shiny things. Hear beat-boxers and junkyard drummers, see pot-bangers and clappers and kids on their parents’ shoulders. Horn players wander in and out of the crowd. A thunderous syncopated procession of groove, winding its way through the neighborhood, calling the city to the funk.
Music Festival (7-10 PM): After the parade winds down, the U Street neighborhood’s historic venues open their doors for the city to hear some of the best music D.C. has to offer. One night, one city, one groove: the subatomic particle of love.
Why this Matters for DC
Funk Parade brings together District residents from all walks of life into the streets to make music together, celebrate the city they love, and dance to the rhythms that move us all. Funk Parade connects us with each other, and it connects our present with our past. Music, and especially funk, is a convening force that can bring us together to help us find a greater good.
No $ To Spare? You Can Still Help
Can’t contribute financially? We understand. Here are some other ways you can help us make the Funk Parade a thriving and lasting success:
Follow and connect with us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and help spread the word!
Share this campaign with anyone and everyone who you want to see celebrating the spirit of Funk!
On May 2nd, come to U Street and join in the second annual Funk Parade!
****Many people have helped us to this point with our Indiegogo campaign. I wanted to give special thanks to Good Fight Media, Batala Washington, Urban Artistry, Hung Tao Choy Mei Leadership Academy, The Brass Connection, Crush Funk Brass, DC Bike Party, Den of Thieves, Chuck Levins, DC9, Right Proper Brewing Company, Cherry Blossom Creative, Donald Ely, Waveborn, CreateDC, Derek Brown, AJ Glover, and all the performers for our kickoff party and The Howard Theatre.****
