Sounds of live concert music will once again be heard as Porchfest returns to celebrate the arts and community

By Andrew Harrison Sta Writer

This is the second annual Princeton Porchfest organized by the Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) that gives residents and visitors the chance to take in musical performances from bands and musicians straight from the front porches of Princeton homes and properties.

The free shows performed during what the Arts Council calls a “walkable music festival” are set for April 29 from 12-6 p.m. Porchfest will culminate April ARTS, a months-long celebration of art, music and the Princeton community.

“Last year’s Porchfest was an astounding success. Part of our strategy last year was come for lunch, listen to the music, stay for dinner,” said Adam Welch, executive director of the ACP. “Our premise behind Porchfest was an opportunity for us to encourage people to come to town, utilize the businesses, shop local, and eat local.”

With counters at each of the 11 porches at the inaugural Porchfest in 2022, the Arts Council calculated that more than 1,500 people had attended Porchfest.

“We thought Porchfest would be welcomed here in Princeton and turns out it was,” Welch said.

This year, Porchfest organizers decided on 18 porches that will be utilized for Porchfest. The ACP has already met with Princeton officials and the Princeton Police Department to go over the map to ensure safety.

With an increase in porch applications, it had become more difficult to map out and create a proximity of porches that flowed for people seeking to view performances at more than one location.

“The reason why it was more difficult is because we had so many more porches in various places. Some are repeat porches, but there are so many new ones,” Welch said. “It is a balance and is not something we take lightly. When looking at the map there are obvious outliers, homes or places that are not close to other porch locations.”

The Arts Council wanted to have at least three porches that were in close proximity that

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