ATHENS, Ohio — Fostering community and facilitating connection, Porchfest returns this Sunday, May 18, to Athens’ Near East Side neighborhood.
“It is bigger and better this year,” organizer and Near East Side resident Rob Delach said.
Last year, the first Porchfest showcased 20 bands at 14 homes and local businesses. This year, that figure has doubled: Around 44 bands will perform from around 30 house porches and nine businesses. Delach estimated that around 500 people attended the first Porchfest — a figure only bound to grow given this year’s expansion.
This year’s Porchfest has also expanded to include food trucks, a kids zone, a flea market, demonstrations at the Athens Public Library and more.
“[Porchfest] is the perfect kind of community event for Athens, I think,” Delach said. The event is not the first of its kind; other cities across the country hold similar neighborhood-based community music festivals.
Porchfest will begin with an early show by Rabblerouzer at 11 a.m. at Athens Impact Socially Responsible Investments, 264 E. State St., and Village Bakery & Cafe, 268 E. State St.
Athens Impact Socially Responsible Investments will provide free coffee to attendees and Village Bakery will be open as well, Delach said.
The official Porchfest kickoff is at noon, when the Stimson Chickens will play at Kiser’s BBQ, 355 E. State St. There’ll also be a performance at noon at 234 E. State St. by Captain Chucke and the Cadillac South.
From 1–6 p.m., there will be a food truck “rodeo” in the American Red Cross parking lot, 100 S. May Avenue — a new addition to the festival, Delach said.
Another addition to the festival is a “Poochfest,” where Friends of the Shelter Dogs will showcase adoptable dogs from noon to 3 p.m. in the parking lot at Merchant Bank, 20 E. Stimson Avenue. The site also will have food trucks and “other vendors there selling dog treats and things like that,” Delach said.
Based on feedback from last year’s Porchfest, the organizers have added toilet access by renting Porta-Potties and flagging locations of public restrooms on the official festival map.
Porchfest is made possible thanks to the generosity of its musicians, organizers, hosts and the Athens community, Delach said. Porchfest does not pay the musicians who volunteer to perform in the neighborhood; they accept tips during performances.
“People were really generous with tips last year,” Delach said. “One of the bands had played two nights before the headliner, and they got three times the money in cash tips playing on a porch. And that’s what we heard from other bands — is they got at least as much money as they normally get to play a venue in the area.”
More additions to this year’s festival include an expanded kids area. Returning are Kona Ice, the Crafty Art Bus and a bounce house. New additions include a petting zoo, an open mic, facepainting, games and more. There’ll also be a family care room from 1–6 p.m. The KidZone will be at Hughes Funeral Home, 168 Morris Avenue. Restrooms will also be available.
Like last year, Porchfest will conclude at Jackie O’s Taproom & Brewery, 25 Campbell St., from 6–8 p.m.
But that’s not all: Dallas Craft and local “supergroup” Larry Elefante will perform an after-show at Athens Hot Glass, 21 Kern St., Delach said.
Cody Sigmon, another Near East Side resident, helped prepare Porchfest hosts for the musical performances. Sigmon said planning for this year was smoother than the first time — and that neighbors were eager to help. Sigmon will also perform at Porchfest, with the Stimson Chickens.
“I think the main takeaway from this year is it’s even easier than last year,” Signmon said. “It seems like so many people are just ready to roll up their sleeves and help in whatever way they can. … We do a trust fall with our community, right? Like, ‘Hey, we’ve got all these musicians, we’ve got all these hosts, we’re going to connect you and make it work.’ … It’s just been really cool to see that community partnership come together.”
Sigmon said that people interested in hosting porch performances signed up to host, and then were matched to a band based upon preferences and location, in coordination with other ongoing acts.
In the spirit of a true music festival, Sigmon said attendees should be mindful of which performances they want to see and when.
“You have to make decisions about where you want to be when,” Sigmon said. “Two bands I want to see or play at the same time — which one do I go to?”
Organizers are laying the groundwork for years to come: Delach said that Porchfest is in the works of becoming a registered nonprofit. For general inquiries about the event, such as parking, alcohol consumption and how to get involved, Sigmon recommends checking out Porchfest’s new website, athensohioporchfest.org.
“One of the really exciting things about Porchfest is, not only do we get to showcase the arts and music in our community, but it’s also an opportunity to lift up local businesses,” Sigmon said.
Note: This article has been updated since initial publication to embed the Porchfest 2025 Spotify playlist.
