Sit Back & Rock On – Jacksonville PorchFest

By name alone, PorchFest conjures images of jug bands, old men in rocking chairs alongside their old hound dogs, and one hell of a hootenanny once the hooch sets in. It’s entirely possible that one or all of those things may be found on November 7th during Jacksonville PorchFest in Springfield. However, I don’t want to misrepresent the event or lead you completely astray—this is a family friendly event.

PorchFests are held annually across the United States and Canada. They were started in Ithaca, New York, in 2007. The underlying idea was to bring local musicians and neighborhoods together to create community. It makes sense; residents are essentially inviting the everyone to their home to enjoy the free event featuring local musicians from a variety of genres. The festival is especially meaningful for Jacksonville because it brings people to the Springfield area. Things haven’t worked out the way a lot of people have envisioned in Springfield, but it doesn’t always mean that they’ve gone wrong. Sometimes a music festival can seem trivial, but it’s an illustration of the powerful confluence of business and culture. It’s that balance that Springfield needs to become everything it could be economically, while retaining its soul and uniqueness.

In this day and age, lending your porch and front lawn is considered fairly invasive. Neighbors being, well, neighborly, block parties, and the whole mi casa es su casa idea is largely considered bygone and even odd. That’s another thing that separates an event like this: it’s about so much more than music and good times. It’s meaningful connection, the idea of letting down our more introverted tendencies, and being a part of someone’s neighborhood, even their home. Maybe you’ll be lucky enough to go with a group of people that leave their mobile phones in the car and actually participate in the moment, you know, being all old-fashioned and whatnot.

In addition to an impressive lineup that includes FlowTribe, Grandpa’s Cough Medicine, Douglas Anderson Guitar Ensemble, and many others, you’ll find some of Jacksonville’s most popular food trucks and a vintage market presented by Vagabond Flea. Attendees are welcome to stroll from porch to porch and hang out on front lawns while enjoying live music. Music starts at 1pm and runs through 9pm, and the food trucks and artisan booths will be open at noon. Maps will be available at the corner of Third and Silver Streets in Klutho Park. You can find parking along Main Street and near Klutho Park.

Get a little neighborly, enjoy a great lineup of bands, do some old-style shopping, and indulge in food truck fare at its finest at this year’s Jacksonville PorchFest! Visit jacksonvilleporchfest.org for more information.

Complete schedule here.