Step on Through

DIY event Santa Fe Portalfest hits year two with way more everything

At last year’s Santa Fe Portalfest, roughly 27 acts played on porches, portales and driveways throughout the neighborhood surrounding Alto Park while eight or nine arts vendors hocked their wares. This year’s fest, according to organizers Jules Hoffman and Sal Maxwell, ups the ante to 50 bands, performers and solo artists plus 42 art vendors across nine stages in the same neighborhood and at Casa Solana.

Hoffman and Maxwell kicked things off last year in the vein of similar nationwide events. Hoffman, also a musician, cut their teeth on similar fests in the Boston area, where Maxwell had also discovered the power of community organizing and porch-playin’. Together, they hatched the concept for a Santa Fe version that would not only create opportunities for local musicians and artists who might not have an easy route into Santa Fe’s admittedly scant venues, but that would come with a few bucks for those participating. Now, with a dream in their hearts, a combined $3,000 grant from the Santa Fe Community Fund and the Envision Fund and more than $5,000 from a GoFundMe campaign as of this writing, the second now-annual Santa Fe Portalfest steams ahead.

“It’s a day of music and community— it’s creating opportunities for musicians of all styles and experience levels,” Hoffman says, “to have a space to tell their stories.”

“I’m just excited to see all our friends play music,” Maxwell adds. “To be sur- rounded by the talent of our beautiful friends...”

She trails off, but it’s a wonderful thought. And this year’s Portalfest lineup is no joke. We’re talking performances from rock act Gold Tides, thrash-punks The Illegal Aliens, singer-songwriters Hannie Lyles and Lyra Muse and so many more. Additionally, attendees can expect to find vendors like Golda Blaise Jewelry & Accessories, Cosmic Cowboys Creative Studios, Chelsea Call Ceramics, Kokopelli Design Studio and many more; plus drag storytime, a community wellness area run by the Queer Community Care collective (with information about Narcan, safe needle exchange, massage and more), plus food from the farm at Reunity Resources and other elements and surprises.

“There’s such a hunger for queer community spaces,” says Maxwell. “There are a lot of young queer people here...we’re creating DIY spaces where people can gather and support one another.”

To make things simpler, Hoffman and Maxwell suggest starting the day at the Aspen Community Magnet School and spiraling out from there. You can still donate at gofundme.com/santafeportalfest2023, too! (Alex

De Vore)

SANTA FE PORTALFEST 2023 Noon-7 pm Saturday, Aug. 12. Free Aspen Community Magnet School 450 La Madera St., santafeportalfest.com