Historic Athens Porchfest will include more than 150 performers across six neighborhoods

Andrew Shearer, Athens Banner-Herald
·2 min read

One of the biggest music events in Athens is free, family-friendly and takes place on "stages" that are more than a century old. This year, Historic Athens Porchfest is set to be bigger than ever, and it'll all take place on one day.

More than 150 Athens area artists are expected to perform at Porchfest, which is scheduled for 1-8 p.m. Oct. 2 in front of 150 houses and businesses across Boulevard, Buena Vista Heights, Cobbham, Newtown, Normaltown and Pulaski Heights neighborhoods.

Tommy Valentine, the executive director of Historic Athens, announced the final lineup of musicians and venues for Porchfest via a public Facebook Live video conference on Monday. Next month's event will be the fourth for Historic Athens, which modeled the festival after Decatur's yearly Oakhurst Porchfest.

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FILE - Voces en Pandemia performs at Historic Athens Porchfest in Athens, Ga., on Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021.
FILE - Voces en Pandemia performs at Historic Athens Porchfest in Athens, Ga., on Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021.

The 2021 Porchfest event drew crowds of more than 6,500, with some estimates as high as 15,000 according to Valentine.

"It's hard to tell in an area that size, but there were so many folks out there last year and we expect that to grow especially because this year Porchfest is growing," said Valentine. "Our first year, Porchfest had 74 bands, and that felt like a lot. We're very, very excited."

Each of the performances will take place outdoors free of charge, and there will be opportunities to make donations via contribution buckets at the concerts or online. Where parking is concerned, Valentine described Porchfest as a "pedestrian" event that encourages walking or bicycling between porches. Guests with mobility requirements can contact Historic Athens for assistance.

FILE - Athens-Clarke commissioners Jesse Houle and Tim Denson perform at Historic Athens Porchfest in Athens, Georgia on Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021.
FILE - Athens-Clarke commissioners Jesse Houle and Tim Denson perform at Historic Athens Porchfest in Athens, Georgia on Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021.

Historic Athens Porchfest 2022 is sponsored by Cafe Racer Coffee and Donuts, which has committed to sponsor the event for the next five years. The Crawford-based eatery is expected to open an Athens location at West Broad Street this fall.

For a full list of Porchfest performers, visit https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1UYT1syoXch0fMfq8VRC9tL2JHeZNHh5qhUETtxoqEc4/edit#gid=1179943836.

For an interactive map of Porchfest concerts, visit https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?ll=33.9651224368728%2C-83.39335211444472&z=14&mid=1cEfSeXWvg718W-93NcN-8PeLMco_8rc.

For artist donations and official Porchfest merchandise, visit https://www.historicathens.com/porchfest.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Historic Athens Porchfest to host more than 150 performers in one day