Live music comes to Easthampton neighborhoods: Porchfest to return for second year on Saturday

Easthampton Porchfest, an event where live music is played in neighborhoods, returns on Saturday with an explanded lineup.

Easthampton Porchfest, an event where live music is played in neighborhoods, returns on Saturday with an explanded lineup. FACEBOOK

By ALEXA LEWIS

Staff Writer

Published: 10-02-2024 3:04 PM

Modified: 10-02-2024 3:16 PM


EASTHAMPTON — Like many who move to Easthampton, Felicia Jadczak and Steve Collicelli were struck by the small city’s vibrant arts scene, and how the creativity and vibrancy it fostered brought community members together.

It was reminiscent of one of the things they’d loved about living in the Boston area: Porchfest, during which the city would fill with music, and neighbors would welcome one another into their spaces to enjoy good tunes and good company.

So the couple brought this beloved event to their new city, and in doing so included Easthampton in an event celebrated by over 180 communities nationwide, that has been bringing friends and neighbors together since its inception in Ithaca, New York in 2007.

After a successful debut last year, Easthampton Porchfest is returning this weekend bigger than before.

“It is a really unique kind of event,” said Jadczak. “It’s very organic, it’s very neighbor-friendly ... it’s supposed to be a blurring of public and private spaces, because you’re basically being invited by a neighbor into their space.”

Jadczak and Collicelli opened up their own home as a host location at last year’s Porchfest. One community member, Marjory Zaik, was particularly excited to see a band perform there, because she had a special connection to the house — it was where she had grown up.

That kind of connection and personal history is exactly what the event had hoped to unearth by encouraging neighbors to get to know one another through a common love of music.

Jadczak said that last year’s Porchfest was a sort of “test year,” but the event was well-received within the community. This year, the goal was to expand its reach and offerings in response to the number of people who attended and subsequently expressed interest in opening their homes as host locations.

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According to Pasqualina Azzarello, Easthampton’s city arts coordinator, last year’s Porchfest featured 12 bands performing over six locations, but this year will double that with about 25 bands across 12 locations.

Porchfest served as a way to bring music and laughter to the city’s historic New City neighborhood, where it will return for a second year. But due to the event’s growth, it will also expand into the Maple neighborhood this year, which allows for the participation of even more host locations and bands, while maintaining the event’s walkability and what Azzarello calls its “curated flow.”

“Porchfest is very special because it’s such a grassroots endeavor,” said Azzarello. “The New City neighborhood holds a lot of historic significance in the city of Easthampton and it’s been really important to activate and reactivate that neighborhood.”

Those who are familiar with Easthampton’s integral arts scene may find Porchfest reminiscent of the community’s Open Studios, during which visual artists open their doors to allow others to view their work. Porchfest is intended to be a similar concept, but for musical artists of all backgrounds. Those who attend may come across a performance put on by a group of local children who decided to write their own songs, while a few doors down, a nationally-recognized band plays their greatest hits.

Jadczak said that this “huge range” of artists in Easthampton is part of what makes the event so enjoyable.

“We have such a deep well of talent here,” she said. “I’m really excited that Easthampton has welcomed Porchfest with such open arms.”

Porchfest will take place on Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m., with a complete schedule of performances and locations available on the Easthampton City Arts website at easthamptoncityarts.com/events-festivals/porchfest.

After attendees explore the musical offerings available, they are also welcome to take part in the citywide Art Walk, which will take place that day from 4 to 7 p.m. on a route traversing Cottage, Union and Pleasant streets, where various storefronts and galleries will be showcasing work by local artists.

Alexa Lewis can be reached at alewis@gazettenet.com.