Fifth Annual PorchFest Set for June 21st in Tangletown

Our neighborhood music festival, now called Tangletown PorchFest, will be presenting its fifth annual show next week. This family-friendly event will be held on Saturday, June 21st, beginning at 12:30 pm, with the last performance starting at 8 pm. The performance porches are located along N 52nd Street on either side of Meridian Avenue N, and on N 54th Street at Keystone Place N up to Kirkwood Place N. Specific locations are listed on this map.

There will be 15 bands of various styles and genres playing in succession, approximately every half hour, so you can drop by any time throughout the afternoon and evening to catch a performance. The schedule is subject to change closer to the event, so check back to confirm times before heading out.

This event was founded in 2021 as Wallingford PorchFest by Josh Golden, along with Lindsey and Jeff Winter. Josh loves music and was inspired when visiting his brother in Ithaca, New York, site of the original porchfest, as he thought the idea would be well-received in Seattle. COVID was the catalyst, as restrictions forced him and other musicians to practice and play outside. People stopped to listen to his band, thanking them for playing and providing a tip jar for contributions of appreciation. Josh, Lindsey, and Jeff “built a coalition” with friends and neighbors, creating a “chain reaction of community support for building the event.”

Josh has learned a lot over the past four years of putting on PorchFest. Challenges have included the weather (extreme heat the first year, and monsoon-like rain last year), promotion, and mixed appreciation from people living nearby. Initially, bands played concurrently at multiple locations, which was challenging for attendees and some neighbors. Now the bands play 30-minute sets and performance porches are concentrated within a few blocks to make it more easily walkable. “Having bands play short sets and moving it from block to block allows neighbors who don’t like the noise or the crowds to only have to suffer for a short period of time,” notes Josh. He also shares that the participating musicians “have a significantly larger audience if I keep the event centralized and progressive, rather than widespread with multiple bands playing at the same time in different parts of the neighborhood.”

Why the name change?

With the smaller footprint of the event within the confines of Tangletown, “feedback was given from attendees from other parts of Wallingford that we weren’t inclusive enough, and that the event was in Tangletown and not really in Wallingford.” With the launch of their new website, it made sense to rename the event. Josh hopes that the rebranding will encourage “the businesses and the neighbors in Tangletown (to) take ownership of the event,” building community and encouraging patronage of the area’s shops, restaurants, and other businesses.

Indeed, sponsors of this year’s Tangletown PorchFest include many Tangletown area businesses: Leny’s Place Bar & Grill, My Friend Derek’s Pizza, Keystone Dental, Union PT, Aslan Brewing, Restaurant Christine, Lil Woody’s, and Mighty-O Donuts, as well as American Music in Fremont. Two of the sponsors will be holding after parties: My Friend Derek’s, featuring Detroit-style pizza, and Leny’s Place, hosting “Pourfest” with even more live music.

This event is FREE to attend, but you can support the bands with a donation. Sponsorships and donations cover the basic expenses it takes to put on the festival, with the majority of funds collected going to the performers.

Josh’s favorite moments from past fests include watching the neighborhood and community come together, smiles and awe from the audience in reaction to particular bands, seeing bands making connections and sharing equipment, and discovering new artists.

I’m planning on stopping by this year to check out the musicians and the vibe in North Wallingford, aka Tangletown. Enjoy the solstice, everyone!