The sounds of classical, pop, rock, alternative, and folk music resonated across the inside of businesses around Princeton as musicians performed their sets in venues very different from what they expected: instead of neighbor’s porches, 9 indoor venues served as the new stage. Crowds were ferried from venue to venue with a provided free shuttle to stay out of the rain, all while listening to all different genres of music while also enjoying lunch and snacks from the sponsors of Porchfest. While the venues were an unexpected change, the goal remained the same: to build community connection.
On Saturday, September 26, from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., people from all over New Jersey gathered at indoor venues around downtown Princeton to celebrate the town’s fifth annual Porchfest. Organized by the Arts Council of Princeton and sponsored by various local businesses, Porchfest is a departure from the traditional concert hall venue of performances and instead offers a community-centered approach to hosting music.
“Our mission at the Arts Council is to build community through the arts, and [Porchfest] exemplifies our mission,” said Porchfest organizer Melissa Kuscin. “[These venues] are totally putting their trust in us and in the musicians that are signing up in equal goodwill to bring people happiness.”
After the need to shift indoors, several local businesses and organizations offered up space for performances under their roofs. The Princeton Public Library, the Princeton University Art Museum and Kristine’s were among the venues that hosted indoor performances.
“It can be hard to find an open mic space or a place to perform music if you don’t have an established place [where] you’re learning,” said Eve Kavookjian ’27, a volunteer at the 2025 Porchfest. “So I think [Porchfest] is really great for people who just want to ... have a time to perform. ... It’s really good to help younger artists get themselves out.”
Princeton’s Porchfest is part of a much larger, national stage. Although the event is now held all over America, the first Porchfest was held in Ithaca, New York, in 2007. Beginning as a small gathering of just 500 people in 2022, Princeton’s Porchfest has grown into a staple event.
The event has also evolved beyond just featuring music. The Arts Council promoted local businesses in return for their sponsoring and funding Porchfest, allowing attendees to grab snacks and meals as part of the experience. Additionally, poets and storytellers now also get a stage.
“It’s a super intimate, welcoming group of poets and storytellers. ... Porchfest is a way for us ... to feature these storytellers and poets outside, [and introduce] them to a whole new group of listeners,” said Kucsin.
Originally scheduled for April 25, this year’s Porchfest was initially cancelled for the first time in the event’s history after the day brought intense storms, despite the event being typically rain-or-shine. The indoors rendition of Porchfest was also caused by last weekend’s nor’easter.
“We can put up with a little rain, we can put up with a little wind, but it was going to be just a very powerful combination of all the things, and when you’re working with musicians that have electronic instruments and equipment, it was determined to be the best course of action,” Kucsin said of the April postponement.
The itinerary of the event was affected by both the weather and the date change from the spring. When performers lined up in April were unavailable to perform on the new date, the organizers pulled from the waitlist of performances to fill in the gaps.
Though the event will in the future likely retain its annual April date, the organizers are interested in how the audience reacted to the new setting.
“September is feeling really good. There’s always a lot of events going on this time of year, though, so I’d like to just to do a little bit of analysis ... say, ‘did we notice any decline in attendance?’ ... It’s always nice to make sure that it worked just like we wanted to,” Kucsin said.
This year, Porchfest ended with a final performance at Graduate by Hilton Princeton. Beginning with a performance by the band Tony & The Trees at 5:15 p.m., the final event also offered a beer afterparty at 6:30p.m.
“[My favorite moment at Porchfest is] to hear all the people recuperating with their friends or family [after] they met up and they had gone in different directions,” said Kavookjian. “They [said], ‘Oh, I heard this great thing, and I heard this great thing,’ and they’re able to share that with each other, and then connect over that.”
Porchfest was an opportunity for performers and attendees alike to connect with one another and share a day filled with music, food, and poetry.
“You could wander around and do no planning at all, and you’re going to have a good time, so come with an open mind and stop for snacks along the way,” said Kuscin.