The block party of the year is on again. Patty Jewett Porchfest will bring its celebration of music, movement and community to the hip, downtown neighborhood Sept. 12 along the 1300-1700 blocks of Corona Street. “Patty Jewett Porchfest is a community lift, owned and operated by neighbors, and we are thrilled it’s back for a fifth year in 2021,” says Ingrid Black, chair of this year’s Porchfest.
Music is the heart and soul of Porchfest, and the format is simple. Book live local bands to play on front porches, invite friends and neighbors into the streets and dance like nobody’s watching. This year’s artists are Stray Suns, Mango fan Django and Redraw the Farm, playing back to back on three different porches along Corona Street. “The music is our No. 1,” Black says. “If we continue to bring in live, local bands that rock, people will come.”
But there will also be more than 15 food trucks serving food and drinks. And fun for the kids includes balloons, face painting and chalk art. There are always modifications too.
“Every year, we add an element of surprise and delight to the event, whether it’s an after hours DJ or a tailgate party at Good Neighbors,” Black says. “This year as a jab at COVID-19, all three porches are on Corona Street, whereas previously we moved from street to street.”
Although there are some modifications, Patty Jewett residents didn’t want the pandemic to keep the event from happening. “We polled neighbors this spring and 93% gave the event a thumbs up,” Black says. “It’s all outdoors, and we are doubling our footprint to allow for more space for neighbors and friends to enjoy Porchfest. We welcome masks and want attendees to feel safe.”
The grassroots festival got started in 2016 when a group of working moms decided to recreate their own version of the national Porchfest movement in their Patty Jewett neighborhood. The planning committee is all volunteer, and the festival is free to the public.
“Two pillars of Porchfest, and the Patty Jewett neighborhood, are being outside and togetherness,” Black says. “There is a strong sense of community in Patty Jewett, so it is great to be able to give back in this way.”
Porchfest 2021 Lineup and Schedule
The Music
Stray Suns—1 p.m., 1315 North Corona Street
Mango fan Django—2:30 p.m., 1419 North Corona Street
Redraw the Farm—4 p.m., 1707 North Corona Street
Colorado College Mobile Arts “after party” at Good Neighbors Meeting House
Host Body—5:00-5:45 p.m.
Tiny Tomboy—5:45-6:30 p.m.
The Food Trucks
Cowgirl Kettle Corn and Lemonade
My Asian Dish
Corona Street will be closed to traffic, and visitors are encouraged to leave their cars at home and instead “bike, stroll, skip, jog, board and boogie on over to Porchfest.”
Get all the details at the Patty Jewett Porchfest Facebook page.
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