Atlanta Intown | Porchfest - A Special Section, May 2023

Vectralux performs at the 2022 Porchfest.

(Photo by by Sarah Carpenter)

Hitting a high note with VaHi Porchfest

A Porchfest finale to top the charts

Virginia Highland Porchfest will roll out its first-ever headlining band finale at John Howell Park, with a 6 p.m. performance by We The Party Band.

This will be We The Party Band’s inaugural performance at any Virginia Highland Porchfest. The band stated

The third-annual Virginia Highland Porchfest is drumming up to present a record-breaking lineup of 85 bands on 55 porches across the neighborhood on Saturday, May 20.

With the influx of bands come a few enhancements to the event. Virginia Highland District Association (VHDA), which plans and operates the festival, has decided to centralize the last hour of the event by having a headliner, We The Party Band, perform at John Howell Park. They have also expanded the vendor market to include 40 local vendors along Adair Avenue, which will intersect with 30 food trucks placed along Barnett Street.

Virginia Highland Porchfest will get a running start at 11 am with the Rock n Run, a 1-mile fun-run, in which neighbors and visitors put on their favorite rock n roll garb or dress up as their favorite musicians. Music will follow the run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on porches across the neighborhood, and the headlining show will be from 6 to 7 p.m. Kids can bounce around at Kids Corner, a fun zone for the youngest Porchfest attendees to play games, jump in the bounce house, stop for a balloon animal or one of three magic shows.

VHDA started Porchfest as a means of linking the community through the enjoyment and support of local musicians, all the while enhancing foot traffic to support the small businesses along the North Highland Ave corridor. Elizabeth Howell, General Manager of Atkins Park Restaurant and Bar, said, “Porchfest is such a great event! We love the energy of

the community plus, it is fun to show off this great neighborhood to the rest of Atlanta!”

Rachael Pack, co-owner of Kinship Butcher Sundry, commented on the “buzz that fills the neighborhood” during Porchfest. She stated that Kinship is “elated to be able to grace the grill” of local residents during Porchfest and serve up “breakfast sammies” the next day to recover from the busy event.

Local resident Sophia Rosen and her family have enjoyed the event since its inaugural year in 2021. Rosen stated that “The first year Porchfest came about I was so excited. I had no idea what to expect and I was overwhelmed with joy the first year. It was just out of COVID and it was a breath of fresh air. But when I arrived, I was in awe. It exceeded my expectations. I thought, ‘Oh maybe it is because I’m just out of quarantine.’ The next year was even more amazing.”

A resident of the Virginia Highland Neighborhood since 2008, Rosen explained that the combination of each portion of the event “sold me forever.” This year, she is registered for the Rock n Run and her mother will be volunteering. “It brings joy and community to our historic, beautiful neighborhood. Cheers to the community who puts it on. We can’t thank you

enough,” said Rosen.

Porchfest is presented by 14 Hands Wine, Jack Daniels and Coca Cola Can, Sweetwater, Tanteo Tequila, and Fever Tree, along with White Claw Vodka and Hard Seltzer. Festival goers can enjoy these beverages at six drink tents within the event perimeter. The event is co-sponsored by Audi Atlanta. It is also supported by small businesses and resident sponsors throughout the neighborhood.

Proceeds from the event go towards public realm investments in the neighborhood such as plantings, clean-ups, and urban planning. Residents, visitors, musicians, and local businesses will up the volume while investing in their community at the third-annual Virginia Highland Porchfest.

that they couldn’t be more thrilled to be performing as the festival’s first-ever, one-and-only headliner. We The Party Band got started in 2011 as a group of friends from church, getting together to perform at Dugan’s Restaurant in College Park.

Alex Harvey, the band manager and MC for the band said that We The Party Band wants to “give the audience the experience of euphoria.” The band plans to provide “an experience of escaping the reality of the day, kick back, and listen to the sweet sounds of music, because music heals, and it’s good for the soul. We want our audience to feel liberated, excited and free to let go, dance, and groove to the beats.”

We The Party Band plays R&B and Hip-Hop from the ‘80s, ‘90s, and 2000s. Their energy-charged covers are slated to bring the good vibes to this year’s Virginia Highland Porchfest.

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Break sound barriers at the Porchfest Rock n Run

Launch your day at Porchfest by participating in the Rock n Run, a 1-mile fun run that celebrates musicians of all sorts. Participants will deck themselves out in their greatest rock and roll garb, whether a wig, tie-dye, inflatable guitars, or the styles of a favorite musician. Enjoy a community celebration of fun as a DJ announces the race at the start, and the best dressed will receive awards at the finish. Rock n Run participation is $25 (12 and over) and includes a bag of goodies at the end of the race.

Kid’s Corner for little rockstars in the making

packed with happy faces, as the signature VAHI sign will be moved from North Highland Park for the day to serve as a photo backdrop. Enjoy a fun launch to your day or a shaded interlude, where the kids can get in the festival mood!

A recipe for success: food trucks at Porchfest

Bring the kiddos over from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to enjoy the Kid’s Corner, presented by Druid Hills Presbyterian Church. Located at John Howell Park, the Kid’s Corner is great for all ages, stacked with both free and paid fun activities. A rockin’ DJ will start the day to pump up the park with smooth tunes. Free activities will include a craft station with music-themed painting and coloring, magic shows at 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 1:30 p.m., and large yard games like Jenga, cornhole, and Connect 4. Paid activities like the bounce houses and balloon art, contribute to VHDA fundraising. Porchfest Kid’s Corner will be

From savory to sweet, Porchfest will host a variety of Atlanta’s most delightful food vendors. Check out over 30 mouthwatering food trucks, with flavors from around the world, to savor on this spring day in Virginia Highland.

Unique local finds at Porchfest’s Vendor Avenue

Part of VHDA’s mission is to support local businesses, including stellar popup vendors. Specially curated for your Porchfest outing will be over 40 of Atlanta best artists and craft goods makers, ready to show you their unique creations. Running along Adair Avenue, this artisanal market is an opportunity to shop and support local creators while taking a break between musician sets. Vendors will have a variety of goods including fiber arts, jewelry, local honey, sunglasses, and even dog bandanas.

Rock the Porchfest shirt and support high school students

Savor the Porchfest experience with a Porchfest T-Shirt, bag, or sunglasses. There will be two merchandise booths at the event along Barnett Avenue. You can also purchase your Porchfest shirt early and enjoy a quick pick-up the day of the event by purchasing during presale. Merchandise includes the T-shirt crafted by the winner of the design contest at Midtown High, sophomore Ava Johnson. Twenty percent of the proceeds for the shirts with Johnson’s design go to the arts and communication programs at Midtown High.

‘Feeling Good’ in the neighborhood

Virginia Highland Porchfest is a group-effort project, conceptualized and operated by the volunteers and board directors of Virginia Highland District Association (VHDA), of the northeast intown neighborhood, Virginia Highland. VHDA is a business association founded by resident stakeholders and dedicated to the prosperity of the small business corridor of North Highland Avenue, from Ponce de Leon Ave to Morningside.

Large events like Porchfest present a rare, effective fundraising opportunity for neighborhood nonprofits. By attracting community-orientated sponsors, selling tickets to sub-events, and having a portion of the concession sales go to the organization, the entire event is planned and oriented toward fueling VHDA’s mission. The association creates a liaison between neighborhood stakeholders and city professionals to “support small businesses in Virginia Highland through economic development, public realm investment, and community engagement.”

In 2020, VHDA Board Director and child therapist, Christina Carrick, took VHDA’s community engagement mission and linked it to the concept of Porchfest. She had visited the Oakhurst Porchfest in Fall for many years and, after some research, gave the organizer, Scott Doyon, a call. Since then, the VHDA board and Porchfest team have learned and grown. It takes a little over six months to plan and, this year, over 20 people have dedicated many hours to plan the event. This year’s record-breaking lineup of bands and porches has been a newly expanded undertaking for the team.

VHDA sends a huge “Thank you!” to Porchfest attendees for supporting your local community events, musicians, artists, and associations.

Volunteer at Porchfest

Porchfest relies upon the support of community members to operate this melodious event. Volunteers help set up and break down, check-in, and cheer on Rock n Run participants, monitor streets for safety and wayfinding, make sure kids have a blast at Kids Corner, answer questions at the info booth, and help ensure everyone has a rockin’ fun time. A complimentary Porchfest T-shirt is provided to volunteers upon arrival at their shift. Volunteers attend a 1-hr informational meeting the week before the event to learn about the event. Sign up to volunteer by May 10.

Logistics and safety

Porchfest music is viewable from the sidewalks only; please be respectful of local residences. Limited parking is available, VHDA encourages festival goers to walk, bike, and rideshare. The event will have three strips of portable restrooms, along with a firstaid station on Barnett Ave near John Howell Park. To pair with the in-festival provisions, VHDA encourages festival-goers to check out food, drink, and shopping offerings from local businesses along North Highland Avenue.