PORCH PERFORMANCE: The Arts Council of Princeton’s (ACP) annual Princeton Porchfest is set to return on Saturday, September 26, from 12 to 6 p.m. with a lineup of local talent. (Photo by Matt Raspanti, Office of Communications, Princeton University)
By Wendy Greenberg
Update: Due to anticipated weather conditions, Porchfest will be moved indoors. Visit artscouncilofprinceton.org for the updated map.
With some 75 bands and 15 porches, the Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) is ready to host a rescheduled fifth annual Princeton Porchfest this Saturday, September 26, from 12 to 6 p.m. And despite having had to postpone the event from a soaking April day, there is eager anticipation for its fall debut.
“The fall season is an exciting backdrop for the event,” said Melissa Kuscin, ACP’s director of programming and events
ACP Executive Director Adam Welch is likewise “looking forward to hosting Porchfest in the early fall, when there’s usually just a hint of coolness in the air and people are eager to be outside enjoying live music,” he said. “Anytime people have the chance to come together with friends, discover new artists, and enjoy music in a welcoming community setting, it makes for a special day.”
New this year will be a Triumph Brewery tent in Hinds Plaza, which will be the site of a closing concert at 5:15 p.m. with Tony and the Trees, a “super high energy, bluesy-rock band, a real crowd-pleaser,” said Kuscin. “The closing concert used to be on the Arts Council street corner, but we outgrew it,” she said.
Also new this year is the Porchfest Express, a trolley that will shuttle music lovers around town, courtesy of Graduate
by Hilton Princeton. The route will be on the ACP website. And, the Princeton University Art Museum will host a “porch.”
“No matter the weather, Princetonians show up and have a good time,” said Kuscin. “If you tell them we’ll be here with music, they’ll be there. We plan to have a really good time.”
While some performers could not reschedule from last spring, the ACP went to a wait list and was able to give other performers
a chance.
Porchfest brings together a wide variety of musicians who are staged on porches at homes of local residents, who volunteer their spaces. The porches are arranged in walkable clusters spread over town.
“The result,” states an ACP press release, is “part block party, part neighborhood jam session and part musical choose-your-own adventure. The DIY (do it yourself) spirit is what makes Porchfest distinctly Porchfest.”
Among the many returning acts are Ruby West, Sourland Mountain String Band, Charles Laurita & the Mischief, and Ride or Die. Newcomers will include Briz & the Revival, The Band Palm, and other performers.
Last spring, the weather prediction for Saturday, April 25, was for windswept rain, gusts up to 20 miles per hour, and a real feel in the 30s when ACP organizers called off the Porchfest on Friday afternoon. A message explained that despite being a “rain or shine” event, “it’s the kind of weather that makes it genuinely hard for musicians to perform, for equipment to function, and for anyone to comfortably gather and enjoy what this day is meant to be…. We are heartbroken.”
“Last April’s weather was brutal,” recalled Welch, “and while people sometimes assume a ‘rain or shine’ event can simply move forward regardless of conditions, it’s not always that simple. Porchfest relies on the participation of hundreds of volunteers, hosts, and musicians, and the success of the event depends on their ability and willingness to take part. While our team was fully prepared to move ahead, we also had to consider the bands, many of whom faced the possibility of performing in heavy rain, risking damage to valuable equipment, and playing to little or no audience. In many ways, the weather made the decision for us.”
He noted that the cancellation itself was a major undertaking, as was the rescheduling effort, crediting Kuscin with leading that process. “Fortunately, much of the planning groundwork had already been completed,” said Welch. “The challenge then became reconnecting with participating musicians and hosts to determine who could still perform and who could still open their porch on the new date. It was a tremendous logistical effort, but thanks to Melissa’s work and the commitment of the Porchfest community, we were able to bring the event back together successfully.
“The success of that effort also reflected the continued support of the Municipality, our sponsors, and the entire community, and we are sincerely grateful for the trust they place in the Arts Council of Princeton.”
To help plan for the upcoming Porchfest, ACP has created an interactive map and full performer lineup, and a map is included in this issue of Town Topics. Limited printed maps will also be available at the ACP front desk at 102 Witherspoon Street, and the ACP tent on Hinds Plaza.
The ACP encourages attendees to bring “comfortable walking shoes, water, and lawn chairs or blankets if desired.”
For more information, visit artscouncilofprinceton.org.