The neighborhood is alive with the sound of music once again for Historic Athens’ sixth annual Porchfest, the local nonprofit organization’s largest fundraiser to aid its mission of historic preservation and heritage conservation. More than 200 performances will take place on porches and in yards across seven neighborhoods—Boulevard, Buena Vista, Cobbham, Newtown, Normaltown, Pulaski Heights and Reese-Hancock—on Sunday, Oct. 20 from 1–8 p.m.
Maintaining roughly the same size and scope of last year’s day-long festival, with limited street parking availability and a network of easily crowded side streets participating, it is still highly recommended to take advantage of walking, biking and skating. However, a new partnership with Athens Trolley Tours will provide free rides with several drop-off and pick-up spots spread across the seven neighborhoods throughout the event. This will increase mobility and make it easier for attendees to catch more performances without the worry of parking or ability to walk long distances. Denise Sunta, Historic Athens’ engagement coordinator, says that a comprehensive map will be released that includes the trolley route so that people can plan ahead.
“Plus, these trolleys offer a nostalgic touch as they travel through some of the same areas where streetcars used to run. We will have tour guides on each trolley to guide attendees through each neighborhood and learn more about their past, present and future. It’s a fun way to connect with Athens’ history while making the event more accessible and enjoyable,” says Sunta.
In an effort to create an event that is accessible, inclusive and celebrates what makes Athens unique, Historic Athens has also partnered with local boutique Indie South to have a vendor market located in the old Heirloom parking lot (815 N. Chase St.) from 11 a.m.–5 p.m.
“The vendor market allows us to support another part of our community that is central to our shared sense of place: small, local businesses. In previous years, we had a few vendors and tables scattered across different porches. Thanks to our collaboration with Indie South, this year we’ll have a dedicated space where more local artisans, grassroots organizations and vendors can connect with attendees,” says Sunta.
Of course at the heart of Porchfest is the more than 200 local performers who donate their time to setting up and playing music in support of Historic Athens. Part of the fun is exploring everything the Athens music scene has to offer, and SoundCloud has joined as a Porchfest sponsor to aid in that exploration. The open audio platform will have a SoundCloud Zone at the festival giving away swag bags, exclusive info on local artists and more. There’s also a SoundCloud Showcase currently being populated online at historicathens.com/soundcloud that highlights Porchfest musicians.
“The collaboration with SoundCloud gives local artists a chance to connect with a well-known name in the independent music scene and reach thousands of attendees. With the SoundCloud Showcase page on our website, it’ll be easier than ever for people to discover and follow participating musicians long after the event,” says Sunta.
The official Historic Athens Porchfest Kick-off Party will take place Friday, Oct. 18 from 6–9 p.m. at Athentic Brewing Co. Here attendees can pick up pre-ordered merch and enjoy food from Cafe Racer’s food truck. Local history buffs can show off their knowledge with Athens trivia from 6–8 p.m., or join in with friends and learn something new about the town. Athens-based karaoke will follow to end the celebration.
Historic Athens has curated three Heritage Walks for Saturday, Oct. 19 that offer a guided tour through neighborhoods participating in Porchfest. Each tour will discuss the history, architecture and culture of the micro communities with stories about various homes and landmarks. Marvin Peoples will lead a Normaltown walk at 10 a.m., Gwen O’Looney will lead a Cobbham walk at 12:30 p.m., and Kristen Morales will lead a Buena Vista walk at 2 p.m. Registration is required at bit.ly/heritagewalk24. While there you can view the upcoming Heritage Walks for the rest of the year.
Whether you plan ahead and plot your ultimate Porchfest route or take a joy walk and see where you end up, there are more than 200 experiences waiting for you at this year’s event. For a full schedule of performers, locations and set times organized by neighborhood, see below. To view an interactive map and spreadsheet with individual artist donation links, visit historicathens.com/porchfest.
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