PorchFest returns to the Southeast Hill with more sweet songs and sounds

“It’s a great event to showcase this part of the city but also to bring people together in a very approachable way that everyone feels like they can bring a lawn chair and they can be a part of it,” he says. “And there’s not maybe some of the barriers that some festivals might have with either price or you know just, it’s just easy to come and bring a friend and it feels like everyone’s welcome.”

Organizer Rob Pape says there were about 3,000 people at last year’s shows, making for a good but still comfortable crowd.

Image From Facebook/PorchFestMH

Hatters are encouraged to stroll, bike or drive around the historic neighbourhood, stopping along the way at as many of the concerts as they wish. The performances range from an hour to an hour and a half so bringing a lawn chair, sunscreen and water is a good idea.

“We’ve done it to eliminate as many barriers as we can and allow it to be as inclusive for the community as we can possibly make it,” Pape says. “And so if somebody can’t, you know, it’s not in their ability to walk around or to stand in the sun, we haven’t closed any streets or anything like that so they have the ability to be able to drive their vehicle and park and watch the performances and access it that way.”

Church is excited to play in the unique stage setting.

“I’ve never performed on a front porch per se but I’ve done a few backyard concerts and house concerts and I always find that those are the most intimate, fun shows,” he says. “There’s something again really approachable about just playing in someone’s house, and I guess that’s probably how music used to be shared quite often was, you know, in a living room or in the backyard around a campfire that kind of thing so I’m very much looking forward to it.”

Find a Google Map link to the shows on the PorchFest Facebook page.

by Chris Brown

PorchFest returns to the Southeast Hill with more sweet songs and sounds

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