Latest news with #PorchFest
CTV News
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Ottawa's PorchFest back in Osgoode as performers turn their porches into stages
Neighbourhood music enthusiasts performing right from their front porch, driveways and yards for a free concert. (Camille Wilson/ CTV News Ottawa) Neighbourhood music enthusiasts are performing right from their front porch, driveways and yards for a free concert. The Osgoode PorchFest is taking place Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., featuring more than 60 local artists, musicians and dance performers. The weekend will be filled with live music, a block party, food, beer garden and fun. The annual community event allows for all to groove and connect while enjoying a family-friendly experience. There's something to enjoy for everyone with various music genres, from folk to jazz, rock to classical and many more. PorchFest allows musicians of all genres to showcase their talent in a laid-back environment. The musical festival is free with local talents donating their time and skills but are welcoming tips. The event runs until Sunday at 3 p.m. with a car show and artisan market. Osgoode PorchFest Neighbourhood music enthusiasts performing right from their front porch, driveways and yards for a free concert. (Camille Wilson/ CTV News Ottawa) More to come
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
PorchFest OBKY returns to Griffith Avenue for 7th year
The neighborhood of Griffith Avenue will be the hub of live entertainment come Saturday afternoon as PorchFest OBKY will return for its seventh time — boasting a total of 39 musical acts, all ranging different types of genres, amongst 13 stages. For Tamarra Brasher, co-founder of the free annual event alongside her husband and business partner, Andy Brasher, Thursday and Friday are dormant in comparison to what she has been working on behind the scenes — such as sending information out to sponsors, vendors and volunteers — and what is anticipated on the big day. 'I will tell you — yesterday, I was panicking because I still had so much stuff to do,' Brasher said with a chuckle during a phone interview Thursday. 'Today, I'm actually feeling pretty calm. I don't have too much more to do until Saturday, so that feels good.' And while weather forecasts are calling for the potential rain showers and possible thunderstorms, Brasher is remaining optimistic. 'Honestly, last year was the first year that it didn't rain. So we've had rain every single year (and) we've handled it,' she said. 'My biggest concern is always going to be the lawns of our homeowners. We want to be respectful in that sense, and if it's too wet we'll ask people to stay on the sidewalk and the road instead of getting up into the lawns. 'We'll handle it, and if we have to make a call we will,' Brasher said, 'but we won't do that until Saturday.' In addition to the live music acts, the 2025 event will feature a 14th stage that will be open for attendees to perform karaoke, which Brasher feels will be well-received based on preliminary response from the public. 'I think everyone's really excited about it. We've already had people asking like, 'When can we sign up? What hours are they going to be?' ' she said. 'We have some great hosts that are going to handle that, too. We have some people that are ready for it. We have some people that are cracking up like, 'Oh my gosh, I hope my significant other doesn't get up there and sing.' I think there's some (young adults) that are excited to do it, too. 'I think it's really cool for them to have an opportunity to sing at PorchFest,' Brasher said. '... It will be an Instagrammable moment, for sure.' Besides the performers, Brasher finds one of the key highlights of PorchFest include the volunteers who work before, during and after the event to ensure the day runs smoothly. 'We are very fortunate that every single volunteer we have … every year — they're our friends,' she said. 'We don't even have to ask them. Some of them are there all day long from 8 a.m. until we are shutting down after that last act goes on. 'There is no possible way we could do it without them,' Brasher said. Twenty different vendors will be on-site, while four hydration stations will be scattered throughout Griffith Avenue that will be offering free water. Though the event debuted in 2018, PorchFest continues to see new faces in the crowd and Brasher hopes those coming out for the first time will enjoy themselves. 'I've actually run into several people who've been like, 'Hey, this is my first year I get to be there.' Some people have had weddings or whatever they had going on and never had the opportunity to come down,' Brasher said. 'For those that have never been down, I would say it's free and it's family-friendly — those are the obvious; but it feels like a big family reunion, but way cooler. 'You see all of your friends and family and people you haven't seen in forever, all while you have these amazing talented musicians in the background and local food trucks,' Brasher said. 'It kind of highlights the best parts of our community.' For more information and updates, visit or
CBS News
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Nearly 450 bands play for large crowds at 14th annual Somerville Porchfest despite rain
The rain couldn't dampen the energy on the streets of Somerville as music lovers flocked to this year's PorchFest, a grassroots music festival that turns neighborhood porches into performance stages. "Everyone is out on the streets, and it's so much fun," said Taylor Hallabuk. Over 400 bands play at Porchfest Hundreds made their way from one front stoop to another, enjoying a diverse lineup of talent for the event's 14th year—this year, around 443 porches hosted artists. Among the highlights was Hot Start, a fresh face on the Porchfest scene. The band's drummer, Somerville resident Ben Jalbert, said it was a dream to perform in front of a hometown crowd. "I like the idea of playing outside, almost in a festival kind of setting," said Jalbert. "It's going to be pretty cool." More than 100 musical acts performed across the city. The festival offered something for everyone from indie rock to bluegrass, and even a pop-up square dancing lesson. "You follow your ear, you follow the music, and you just kind of listen for what you want and learn new things," said one attendee. Porchfest is more than just a showcase of musical talent for many residents; it is a celebration of community. Neighbors mingled, families danced in the streets, and strangers quickly became friends, united by a shared love of music and Massachusetts culture. The event again highlighted what residents say makes Somerville unique - an inclusive, artistic spirit and a willingness to embrace a little weather in exchange for a lot of fun. "It is the best community to be a part of. Everyone's out on the streets and it's so much fun. It reminds you you live in a beautiful community," Someville resident Taylor Hallabuk said. Changes to Porchfest There were some changes to Porchfest this year. Certain streets were excluded from the festival if they were used by emergency vehicles. A whole team of people organized to have official porchfest badges to discourage people from hanging out on others' private property.
Boston Globe
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Rain and new rules don't dampen Somerville's PorchFest
Somerville's PorchFest began in 2011 and has grown steadily since. Last year, driven by a performance from Guster, a popular 1990s and 2000s band from the area, the event reached new heights, with countless thousands of people completely packing many of the city's streets. The city became so packed that it — in collaboration with some musical artists — changed the rules this year in an effort to keep Somerville's primary arteries clear for traffic and emergency vehicles. The rules prohibited performances on 13 streets including Broadway, Summer Street, and Highland and Somerville avenues which hosted several dozen shows last year. Advertisement Also new this year is a team of 'ambassadors' to help guide foot traffic, point newcomers in the right direction, and serve as liaisons for bands performing in the same areas. They handed out maps with the locations of Porta-Potties, which were more numerous in an effort to keep people from relieving themselves on anyone's lawn. Advertisement The city also encouraged bands to coordinate time slots to space out performances. Still, Somerville was bustling. Groups of people who looked to be in their 20s and 30s roved the streets stopping every half block or so to check out the latest show they'd stumbled across. Traffic on the highway exits leading into town backed up in barely-moving lines of brake lights. Powder House Square was a disaster. Parking spots were fever dreams. 'It's a great day for local music,' said Croteau's bandmate Dan Oshiro, 25. Done by 1 p.m., the guys planned on making the rounds and seeing what else was going on. And the sounds of guitars and drums reverberated down every street. There was a variety of acts, from DJs to brass bands, but many had some flavor of rock. Often, it included 90s covers — think 'The Bends'-era Radiohead, Nirvana's 'Heart Shaped Box,' or Smash Mouth's 'All Star." Chad Wishner and Hayley Lynch, both 27, stood on Hall Avenue suspiciously eyeing one particularly adventurous DJ who'd spun a trap remix of Lit's 'My Own Worst Enemy," another 90's anthem. 'It's the age everyone is,' Wishner said. 'It's music from when we all were kids.' But the real draw, Lynch said, was the local acts. She provided quick directions to a good rock band and a fun horn section that performed with a vibraphone nearby. 'I love seeing all the local bands,' she said. 'It's really their time to shine.' The event, as it always does, had a game-of-telephone feeling to it. Many people wandering around had a couple of spots they planned to hit. There, they'd be meeting a friend of a friend, or maybe that person's cousin, who is, perhaps, playing drums or bass on some other guy's porch. Advertisement Such was the case for 27-year-olds Kalina Korzec, Parth Dhruve, and Ali Bacon, who'd paused briefly near Davis Square to listen to the vibraphone act that Lynch had described. They planned to see someone they knew who was in an a cappella group, as well as a mutual friend's coworker, who was playing a show somewhere else. Dhruve grinned: 'That's PorchFest.' Sean Cotter can be reached at
Boston Globe
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Somerville's Porchfest remains a showcase for a vast array of genres
Advertisement Somerville PorchFest isn't the only event of its kind in Massachusetts, nor is it the original PorchFest – that distinction goes to the version in Ithaca, New York. But the festival remains one of the area's largest musical mixers, both in terms of genre and artist-audience connection. The annual event returns this Saturday, spreading nearly 500 acts across Somerville for a free, all-ages afternoon of music discovery (albeit with a few so cars and emergency vehicles can better navigate the area.) Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up For many guests, the event is a chance to seek out homegrown musicians who sound similar to their current favorites (but perhaps no one too similar – we know how last year's Advertisement That's the beauty of a lineup that's nearly 500 hundred artists deep: there's room for more musical styles than many other large-scale music events around town, which often keep their lineup rooted in rock, pop, hip-hop, and folk music, or are devoted to a single sound, like jazz. There's even ample space for genre-mashers like Medford's doom metal brass band , a Boston group that layers flamenco and Latin pop. Boston ska band Pink Slip perform at Somerville PorchFest for the third time this Saturday. Jenny Bergman Heather Mack, vocalist of the Boston ska group 'Over 50 percent of the crowd are just completely wandering in like, 'What are they doing? Is that a ska version of 'What's Up' by 4 Non Blondes? Okay, I'm in,'' says Mack. 'Then they stick around and they're like, 'that was awesome.'' The variety is just as beneficial for the artists themselves, who might have the chance to curate a bill that combines contrasting genres in a way that's atypical of club shows, which tend to be more stylistically cohesive. 'I have a good amount of friends who play different genres, so we don't usually get to be on a bill together,' says Alexis Richardson, a former Somerville resident who performs as Advertisement Pink Slip and Borr will return to PorchFest this year, contributing to the event's signature variety; Pink Slip will perform with punk-adjacent groups Cinecam . 'Somerville PorchFest is a magical thing,' Mack concludes. 'It really is the high watermark for what these events can and should be.' GIG GUIDE headlines the venue with his new record 'Blanco 7,' the latest release in his long-running series of 'Blanco' albums. The Devil Makes Three strum Americana from their new album "Spirits" at the Paradise Rock Club on Saturday. Jarrod Macilla Cuban-American singer . More pop-tinged tunes are on tap from Ugandan-born, Texas-based artist Jon Muq visits City Winery on Friday. Morgan Wommack Camping out at City Winery this week will get you a global array of sounds, such as ( Advertisement Before kicking off a five-month tour of the United States, former Massachusetts residents On , At Roadrunner on Advertisement Massachusetts singer-songwriter Naomi Westwater is a keen observer of life on their third album, "Cycle & Change." Sasha Pedro NOW SPINNING Naomi Westwater, English singer and producer PinkPantheress releases her second mixtape "Fancy That" on Friday. Charlie Engman PinkPantheress, The Head and the Heart's sixth album offers sprightly folk for springtime. Jasper Graham The Head and the Heart, BONUS TRACK Whether you missed Somerville PorchFest – or loved it and are craving more free outdoor music – head to Emerson College's Advertisement Victoria Wasylak can be reached at . Follow her on Bluesky @
