save the date for
PRINCETON PORCHFEST 2025
The fourth annual Princeton Porchfest will be held Saturday, April 26 from 12-6pm.
Porchfest is a free, walkable music festival where neighbors offer up their front porches as DIY concert venues.
Talented performers play 45-minute sets throughout the neighborhood during this day-long celebration of music, art, and our wonderful community.
Stroll from porch to porch to enjoy live, local talent!
Perform at Porchfest
Your talent and generosity make this event possible. Here are the details:
- Performers donate a 45-minute set to be held on a front porch in town, beginning at noon and ending at 5pm.
- All genres are encouraged to apply to Porchfest. Cover bands are welcome.
- Once accepted and assigned a performance slot, musicians that share a porch connect to ensure sound, instruments, and equipment needs are met.
- If there’s a specific porch you’re buddies with, please let us know in the respective field on the application. The porch host will also need to submit an application and be accepted. We can’t guarantee all placement requests, but will do our best to accommodate.
- There is no application fee.
Deadline: Thursday, February 13 | 11:59pm
new this year!
Story & Verse
Storytelling, Poetry, and Spoken Word Outdoor Stage
in partnership with Princeton Public Library and
the Princeton University Art Museum
Our monthly open mic is headed outside to Hinds Plaza! Hosted by Brass Rabbit, interested performers can sign up day-of for the chance to get behind the mic and perform a 5-minute piece. Or join our enthusiastic, supportive audience. Watch this space for more details.
Host a porch
There’s no Porchfest without the porch. Here’s how it works:
- Your contribution to the event is the generous access to your porch, street-facing garage, or other space at your home or local business.
- You or someone representing your home must be available throughout the duration of event.
- Acts on your porch will need access to electricity. Otherwise, all that’s left for you to do is help us spread the word! Invite over your friends, family, and neighbors to enjoy the day at your porch.
- If there’s a specific act you’d like to host on your porch, please let us know in the respective field on the application. The performers will also need to submit an application and be accepted. We can’t guarantee all placement requests, but will do our best to accommodate.
- Porches are accepted when they’re in comfortable walking distance to each other. The more folks in your neighboring streets applying, the more likely it would make for an enjoyable, accessible map. Additional review and safety assessment in partnership with Princeton Public Police help us fine tune a map that promises a good time for all.
- There is no application fee.
Deadline: Thursday, February 13 | 11:59pm
Questions? Email Porchfest organizer, Melissa Kuscin.
Event FAQ
Princeton Porchfest is brought to you by the Arts Council of Princeton. We are an independent non-profit arts center with the mission of building community through the arts. Porchfest is our mission in action!
Neighbors offer their porches, performers volunteer their talents. We pair the two and performances are held throughout the community between 12-5pm, allowing attendees to move from house to house while enjoying music and Princeton hospitality.
Our interactive map and list of performers is sorted by genre, so you’ll be able to plan your perfect Porchfest day. Hard copies of this year’s map will be available in our lobby, in local newspapers, and printable for you to download at home.
Fill out the application of your choice at the top of this page! The deadline to submit your interest is Thursday, February 13. Questions? Email Melissa.
Yes! Thanks to the good will of our sponsors, volunteers, performers, residents, community sponsors, and donors, Princeton Porchfest is free to attend. If you’d like to help support Princeton Porchfest, you can make a donation here. It’d be so appreciated!
Princeton Porchfest will be held rain or shine. In the event of weather, come prepared with an umbrella or windbreaker. Nothing can stop us from dancin’ in the rain!
Totally. You’re invited to walk, ride bikes, scooters, and/or push strollers as you move from one porch to another. Porches will be organized so that there will be plenty to see and hear close-by.
You don’t need to bring anything, but you’re welcome to bring water, an umbrella for rain or to keep the sun off your back, and a blanket or lawn chair to stay comfortable during the 45-minute sets.
Princeton is a town for foodies! We highly recommend checking out the many incredible restaurants, bars, and cafes Princeton has to offer. Come for lunch and stay for dinner!
The Arts Council welcomes you to use our facilities at 102 Witherspoon Street.
The town has three parking garages that will put you right in the heart of the Porchfest map. Check out your options here.
Sponsor Porchfest
By sponsoring this event supporters will not only receive fantastic exposure through various online and printed materials, plus shout-outs on our ever-growing social channels and e-mails reaching our list of 15,000+.
Sponsorship allows us to continue offering quality arts programming to all, regardless of means, including free events such as this!
Interested or have any questions?
Please contact Liza Peck.
Porchfest '25 Sponsors:
