Swampscott PorchFest FAQ

What is PorchFest?
PorchFest is a celebration of music and community for people of all ages.

For one afternoon porches become stages where musicians perform and one-and-all are invited to enjoy! Audiences stroll from porch to porch to listen, sing-and-dance along, and connect with their friends and neighbors.

How does it work?

Swampscott’s PorchFest is a family-friendly community music festival and open to all! The afternoon consists of porch performances at private homes by individual bands and musicians performing various types of music. The organizing committee manages the basic logistics, coordinates performances and promotes the day.

When is Swampscott PorchFest 2025?

Saturday September 20, noon to 6pm.

Is there a raindate?

Raindate is Sunday September 21, but it will only be postponed in the case of heavy rain. (PorchFest 2019 was successful even with a light rain.)

Where will it be held?

The kick-off will be at Linscott Park at noon. From there spectators will stroll around to the various porches. NOTE: in 2019, PF was limited to the Olmsted district. Since then we have expanded and would like to expand even more if there is sufficient interest in other neighborhoods.

Is there a map or schedule?

The schedule and map will be available online here on this website when sign-ups are complete.

Can anyone host?

Yes, anyone who lives in Swampscott and has a porch, stoop, front lawn or driveway. You can play on your own porch, or invite a friend to perform, or we can pair you up with a band. 

Note: It is okay to have a band play on a driveway or front yard but if the home does not have a covered porch we ask that the host make a canopy available so that musicians’ equipment can be covered in case of rain.

Can anyone perform?

Yes. If you sing, play guitar, cello or kazoo (or anything else!) PorchFest wants you! Acts can be solo musicians, big bands, or anything in between. Poetry, spoken word and dance performances are also encouraged.

Note: If you do not have your own porch, or a friend in Swampscott with a porch who will host you, we will attempt to pair you with a host. However, we can't guarantee you a spot.

Can anyone volunteer?

Yes! We are seeking volunteers to help organize and run the event.

How do I sign up to host, play or volunteer?

Go back to the homepage and click performer sign-up or host sign-up.

Note: If you are playing on a friend’s porch, they will need to sign-up as a host first, in order for their porch to appear in a drop-down list of porches. If you are playing on your own porch, sign up as a host first.

Will you be closing streets?
Yes. The Town of Swampscott may, at it’s discretion, close down certain streets hosting PorchFest performances.

Note: We will still be sharing public space and making every effort to accommodate one another. For drivers, this means slowing down and expecting to find pedestrians, bikes, and families spilling out into the streets. For those enjoying the festival, it means being mindful that sometimes people in cars need to get somewhere. It's the neighborly thing to do.

Do the musicians get paid?

Organizers, performers, porch hosts, and others all participate as volunteers and all give freely of their time, talents, resources, and hospitality as a neighborhood. Donations pay for banner printing and incidental costs. Bands are welcome to put out a tip jar.

Food and Drink

PorchFest has no prohibitions on outside food so feel free to bring your own. Please consider supporting the food trucks (we are trying to have food trucks!) Or picking up food from one of our local restaurants and packing a picnic! Or, after the finale, head to a local restaurant with friends for dinner. Some hosts may choose to go all out and provide snacks and refreshments for their audiences, but that is not required.

Alcoholic Beverages
There are no alcohol sales or consumption permitted in prohibited public areas. Event performances take place on private property but are linked by public streets and spaces. When in public, you're responsible for your own behavior and subject to all existing ordinances regarding alcohol consumption. Remember that all ofour venues are someone’s property so be sure to clean up after yourself.

Who organizes this?

Swampscott PorchFest was started by ReachArts, a local non-profit community arts organization. Since the closure of ReachArts in 2025, a fantastic team of volunteers is working hard to keep the tradition alive. We are grateful for the added assistance of the Swampscott Summer Concert Series, and the Swampscott Recreation and Public Works Departments.

I’d love to sponsor this event. How do I do it?

Please reach out to the organizers by emailing SwampscottPorchfest@gmail.com.

I’d like to volunteer. How do I do it?

If you would like to help, volunteers are always needed. Please sign up to volunteer from the home page.

Still have questions?

Email us at: SwampscottPorchfest@gmail.com