Karli Frances playing guitar in front of 506 Aberdeen St, one of her performance locations with band Gypsy Road

By Lisa Parent

PorchFest back for its third year of showcasing local musical talent

Aug 24, 2023 | 4:42 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – The sound of music will be ringing through Medicine Hat’s Southeast Hill this weekend. PorchFest is back, as homeowners transform their porches into a stage for local musical talent.

Rob Pape is the organizer of PorchFest, which started in 2020 to allow musicians to play during COVID restrictions. Now, Pape says PorchFest is a way to enjoy free music within the community.

“It’s an event that holds no boundaries,” Pape says.

He adds, “this is an event for everybody to be able to come in and enjoy for free.”

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Pape says it also allows Hatters to support local musicians by making donations, or simply cheering them on through their set.

“We just want to be able to present the musicians that are in our town to the people that live here, so hopefully they can see them playing again somewhere else down the road and understand who they are,” explains Pape, when asked about how the event helps with the musicians career.

This year, PorchFest will feature 13 different porches, and 13 different musicians. One of those artists is local Karli Frances, who is participating in the event for her first time.

“It’s great to come out and have a different event to play my music at,” says Frances.

“With the music scene and people enjoying the arts I find the city to be very very welcoming and it’s very exciting,” says adds.

Frances got into music as a kid, and writes many of her own songs. She describes her style as upbeat, folky and bluesy.

“I’ve been a songwriter so long. Doing music, it’s just kind of part of me now, and I can’t see life without it,” says Frances.

Her parents were in an oldies country dance band, so looking up to them inspired her to perform as well.

“I grew up watching them. They’d be playing almost every weekend out of the year and we’d go to their gigs and we’d watch their practices.”

Now, her parents will be attending her gigs on Saturday, along with her daughter. A family outing that Pape says embodies the essence of PorchFest.

“I think it’s the opportunity for community to come together. We have a lot of phenomenal musicians in this town, and anytime we can put musicians and community together, I think it usually ends up in a positive, and this has been an event that has been well received in that manner,” says Pape.

Here is the full event schedule and locations for each performance:

Courtesy PorchFest Medicine Hat Facebook Page

More information about the event can be found here.