Back in 2007 some of my neighbors started Porchfest, an afternoon of stoop concerts by musicians of all ages and skills. It was an instant hit with “shows” staggered throughout the afternoon. It grew each year (I performed with some friends on my balcony back in 2010 or something) and is basically a half-day festival now with multiple food truck parks, portable bathrooms, and kids absolutely raking it in with lemonade/bake sale stands. Here are some photos from the 2025 Porchfest. It was a beautiful day but would have been impossible to photograph half of the musicians.
Wild to see sixth graders hold an audience’s attention for an entire set! My favorite thing about Porchfest is that bands will exist solely for this event. The amount of talent in the community is absurd. And I didn’t expect a bunch of 40 year old dudes to cover Pink Pony Club, but that’s not at all surprising, in hindsight. Classic Ithaca.