A couple weekends ago, Sebastopol PorchFest occured in my neighborhood. There were 5 porches/carports/yards that became makeshift stages to allow about 25 acts to perform throughout the afternoon. While this was the first PorchFest in Sebastopol, they have been happening around the country, as well as Canada and Australia, for a number of years now. The first one was held in Ithaca in 2007, and they have been going strong there. The Ithaca event this year happened last weekend and they had 170 acts!

The event closed 2 blocks of S. High Street, one of which I live on. There were a total of 5 stages; 3 on High Street, 1 on Calder and 1 on Palm. Palm and Calder were not closed, which was a problem in my mind. People were gathering in the street to watch the performances, but cars were still trying to get through. I don’t think there were any significant issues, but it was a frustration for both the audience and the drivers I’m sure.

But overall, I thought it was a really fun event and well attended for the first year. It was a great community builder. I ran into people I haven’t seen in years. Everyone seemed to be really respectful and enjoying themselves. I didn’t hear of any problems. And at the end of the event, there wasn’t any trash on the street, or any other sign that the event happened. I think in the future it would be great to add food trucks to the event. I’m hoping the event continues in the future, and expands to other neighborhoods. This also shows how important porches are to creating community.

Here’s to Sebastopol PorchFest 2025!