To the Editor:
Cancel the rescheduled fifth annual Princeton Porchfest because a second nor’easter was bearing down on New Jersey?
I do not think so.
This was the second time nature reminded us of the awesome force it wields. But it was also a reminder of something else: our very human need to come together, connect, and look out for one another.
In just a few short hours, Melissa Kuscin and the Arts Council team made room for a miracle. If I didn’t know better, I’d say I was living in a dream. Fortunately, there were some incredible folks that put their trust in us and took part in making that dream possible.
It began with a phone call from Michael Monarca of Graduate by Hilton Princeton. Michael reached out with the gift of a lifeboat: the lobby of the Graduate. An indoor space for the show to go on. He went even further, organizing the Porchfest Express Trolley to help attendees get around to each location. These gestures planted the seed for what followed.
Melissa made the calls. Businesses stepped up. People rearranged their schedules and spaces. Locomotion, Princeton Public Library, Coffee Club on Prospect, Kristine’s, Princeton University Art Museum, Small World Coffee, Tipple & Rose, Witherspoon Grill, and Graduate by Hilton Princeton all opened their doors and made sacrifices to help make Porchfest happen. They recognized this was not business as usual.
Not all of the bands could be accommodated, and we regret that. They had committed their time and talent, and many had been looking forward to this day for a very long time. We are grateful to every musician who was willing to show up and play, and we are sorry to those who were unable to participate.
But there’s a larger story here.
Something happened in Princeton that day. When faced with another cancellation, another storm, another reason to say, “Maybe next time,” people instead asked, “What can we do?”
Sure, they wanted to see the Arts Council succeed. They did not want to see another community event washed out. But I believe it was deeper than that.
They believed in the powerful and palpable capacity of the human spirit.
Yes, Porchfest is about music. It’s about having fun. It’s about sharing a meal, cheersing a beer, hearing a great band, and wandering from place to place with friends and neighbors.
But it’s also about people helping people. It’s about coming together. It’s about extending a hand, opening a door, and reminding one another that we are not alone.
And so, to everyone who helped make Porchfest possible: thank you. To the bands, the businesses, the sponsors, the volunteers, the Arts Council team, and everyone who showed up — we are grateful.
You reminded us that when things get difficult, we can adapt. We can improvise. We can open our doors. We can lend a hand.
We can make something happen.
And for one extraordinary day, we did.