College Hill porches were transformed into lively musical stages this past weekend for the neighborhood’s sixth annual celebration of Porchfest.
The event, with its largest participation yet, featured live music all Sunday afternoon and a parade as the finale. Non-profit organizations including local churches, the Boy Scouts and Lafayette College’s own LaFarm were also present at the event.
“I think that it’s so cool to do something like this in the community,” said Galen Deery, a three-time Porchfest performer.
“To create a space where people can walk around, meet new people in the neighborhood, say ‘hey’ to the neighbors that they are familiar with and then listen to music and art,” Deery continued. “It’s really special and unique.”
The event showcased nearly 70 performances across 35 different porches in the neighborhood, which spectators navigated with an online map. The musical acts spanned various genres, from classical styles like rock and roll and the blues to more unique ones such as “strummy acoustipunk” and “West African-influenced djembe.”
“You can hear anything like a rhythm and blues band, a guy like me, some rock and rollers,” said Jeff Cox, who performed a solo country music act. “It’s a really cool kind of thing that you never know what you’re getting here.”
While many residents enjoyed the event from the comfort of their own porches, others expressed the happiness they felt from wandering the neighborhood and seeing friendly faces.
“I think it’s just a really fun way to get out and see the neighbors,” said Jessica Bull, a 15-year resident of College Hill. “Especially this time of year, we start to stay in the house more and everybody’s at school.”
The highlight of the event came at its finale, with over 200 people participating in a New Orleans-style second-line parade led by the band Big Easy Easton Brass. Starting and ending at College Hill Presbyterian Church, the parade featured popular songs like “Oh When The Saints Go Marching In” and “I’ll Fly Away.”
“Everybody gets in behind them and hands out noise makers and bubbles,” said Becky Rosenbauer, an event organizer. “Old people will come out of their houses and stand on the porch and wave to us and it’s just a really feel-good time.”
In Mardi Gras-esque fashion, children were given maracas and recorders, and spectators with instruments were encouraged to join.
“This band wants to blur the line between spectator and participant,” read a blurb about Big Easy Easton Brass on Porchfest’s website.
Past events were not as grand; at its inception in 2018, Porchfest hosted just 44 performances on 24 porches, according to an article by Lehigh Valley Live.
The concept of Porchfest originated in Ithaca, New York, in 2007, and came to Easton after College Hill resident Kim Kmetz attended an Ithaca Porchfest during her son’s college family week.
“Right then, something just clicked,” Kmetz realized. “I said, ‘Where I live is perfect for this kind of event.'”
“It took me a few years to pull the right people together and get some financial support from the village of College Hill and get the city to support,” Kmetz added. “We started in 2018 and clearly it’s been a success.”
According to College Hill Porchfest’s website, Easton is the only city in the Lehigh Valley to host such an event.
Rosenbauer, who is on the event’s planning committee, said that “every year it gets a little bit easier.”
“We have a really great committee and everybody knows their role and takes care of things without a lot of drama,” Rosenbauer said, admitting that as the event grows, the addition of more performances and bands can make it difficult to find space for each act.
Performers and organizers of the event ultimately hope that Porchfest fosters a sense of community and togetherness.
“It’s a blast,” said Jeremy Joseph, the founder of Big Easy Easton Brass. “It’s a little bit of light in the darkness. There’s just people in a community all walking together, enjoying music and just kind of walking in the same direction together, just being human and enjoying life.”
Andreas Pelekis ’26 and Claire Coker ’27 contributed reporting.
