Belmont’s annual Porchfest is a symphony of stoops. It provides an excuse to loiter on your neighbor’s lawn and listen to a performer sing their heart out.
This year’s Porchfest takes place on the Saturday after Labor Day, Sept. 6, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., with an inclement weather date of Sunday, Sept. 7.
“[The performances] could be music; it could be a circus act,” said Mary Bradley, founder and organizer of Porchfest. “It can be silly book reading, and we’ve had a variety of different kinds of performances, tons of jazz and brass.”
Around 1,855 people participated in last year’s event. There were 78 porches, hosting 113 groups. One quarter of the performers were under 18, which Bradley said “is a huge win.”
“I get approached by kids in the park who say, ‘We’re gonna put together a band and perform at Porchfest,’ and they do, which is so impressive,” she added.
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Bradley discovered Porchfest in a neighboring town. At the time, she was a novice musician, and she performed on the porch of a Victorian house. All around, “the joy was palpable” and it was a “revolution of friends and neighbors connecting through music.” This, she expressed, was what she wanted to bring to Belmont.
Last year, Belmont resident Kirstin Ilse hosted a folk musician. She decorated her driveway with blue felt and placed cushions, chairs, and love seats. This year, Ilse will be hosting a performance artist from India, who will act out a societal metaphor in a creative way: being “blindfolded and eating cookies.”
Ilse will also be exhibiting her own artwork in her yard in an open-studio style. Her paintings feature dynamic, moving elements of nature, such as rippling water or tree branches from a worm’s-eye view. Made from mixed media and painted silk, Ilse’s work will be on display for guests to peruse.
“The focus really is on getting to know your neighbors,” Bradley said.
Hosts and performers have until July 31 to register. For more information, visit belmontporchfest.org.
