Historic Athens is to host its sixth annual Porchfest on Oct. 20, 2024 from noon to 8 p.m. This event will hold 209 concerts on porches throughout seven historical neighborhoods in Athens, Georgia. 

Porchfest began in 2019, and has now expanded to include new sponsorships and collaborations. Free trolley rides will be available with Athens Trolley Tours to transport attendees within and between the seven neighborhoods hosting the event. 

Multiple sources spoke at Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia regarding the focus of Porchfest to celebrate and conserve community heritage in Athens, Georgia. Founded in 1967, Historic Athens works toward a mission of developing an understanding of the value of historic buildings, neighborhood and heritage according to Tommy Valentine.

Tommy Valentine, executive director of Historic Athens, has been focused on connecting Historic Athens’ mission to Porchfest. 

“When we decided to do a porchfest here in Athens, it was an effort to bridge our incredible music scene and that community heritage with the built environment,” Valentine said. 

Porchfest hosts bands and musical groups of all different genres, from indie-rock bands to Balkan choirs like the one SJ Ursrey is a member of. Ursrey is going to be a part of three different porch performances at Porchfest, and advises attendees to plan out a route to see as much as possible of what Porchfest has to offer. For Ursrey, performing at Porchfest is just part of the fun. She also said she enjoys attending other performances. 

“There’s a new generation of performance, and that’s really fun to witness,” Ursrey said. 

Historic Athens Porchfest will be sponsored by brands such as Cafe Racer, Athentic Brewing Company, Athens Cooks, Arcollab, Cali ‘n Tito’s, Nighthawks Lounge, Koons Environmental Design, Ind., Athens Personal Injury Lawyer and SoundCloud. Attendees can visit the SoundCloud Showcase to learn more about this new sponsorship. 

Along with sponsoring the event, local Athens residents can volunteer to host a porch if they live in one of the seven historic neighborhoods of Newtown, Boulevard, Reese Hancock, Normaltown, Buena Vista Heights, Pulaski Heights and Cobbham. Local community member Alison Miller will be hosting a performance on her own porch this year, and said she is eager to see what happens. 

“I have no idea who will end up on our porch, which is kind of an exciting part,” Miller said.

Over the years, Porchfest has grown significantly in its number of attendees, according to Miller. Much of this can be attributed to the accessibility of the event. Porchfest is free to all Athens residents and visitors.

Go to this Flagpole article to read about last year's Porchfest and learn more about what to expect from this annual Historic Athens event.