What is Porchfest?
A two-day, all-ages walkable music festival taking place on porches (and in businesses). FREE. Kids activities, food trucks, and so much music. Plus there's wrestling, comedy, poetry....and a parade that any one can join.
Where is it?
Central & North Tacoma, divided by 6th Ave. Map below.
Who performs, and who hosts?
Residents (and businesses) sign up to offer their porches, driveways, and patches of grass as performance spaces; artists and bands sign up to perform. They're matched up, and a festival is created. In 2025, more than 300 bands were involved.
How do I plan what to see?
This bit is tricky, especially if you are unfamiliar with most of the artists. Which is also great, because you are guaranteed to find someone / something you enjoy and start following them for future events. Pick a start point and just wander. The beauty of this is that if you come across something you don't vibe with, you can just....walk on.
Expect to hear multiple genres of music coming from the one street corner. You'll probably also stumble upon random 'unofficial' acts - like a guy last year who DJ'd from his upstairs apartment balcony and started a sidewalk dance party. It's all good.
Top Tips
Wear comfy shoes. You'll probably do a lot of walking.
Bikes are a great way to get around.
Keep hydrated - carry a water bottle and fill it up when you can. It's going to be hot.
Take a break inside 6th Ave businesses - I find it a great chance to sit down in air conditioning and sip a cold (non-water) beverage.
Volunteer
Volunteers are still needed for a variety of roles - if you're interested in picking up a shift, head to the website and complete the form. If you're a community group, you all might be interested in the necessary task of 'flagging' - traffic and pedestrian control. Help here especially is needed.
Organizers & Funding
This event exists because someone who lives in the area thought it sounded like a good idea and then made it happen. It continues because lots of people in the area agree and participate. Some funding now comes through grants; other funding is through donations (keep an eye out for volunteers during the event). Bands get paid a nominal amount, and many of those funds come from donations.
