After being postponed for a week, the skies finally parted for porch goers in the Petworth neighborhood of Northwest D.C., who casually sipped and listened to the sounds of their favorite local bands jamming out Saturday afternoon.
“I’m having a great time. It’s my first time here,” said Lee Sova-Claypool, who came to PorchFest with a group to watch a friend perform.
PorchFest was supposed to take place back on April 21 but storms prompted organizers to postpone the event.
“We were going to come last week, and we were really disappointed we weren’t able to make it, so this is an excellent reschedule,” she told WTOP.
The wait was worth it.
“A lot of kids, a lot of dogs, a lot of people watching, the weather has been great and it really makes me want to live in this neighborhood,” Sova-Claypool said.
“Porch is my favorite word — I love porches!” she added.
But she wasn’t the only one having a good time.
“It’s got that block party energy; there’s kind of that sense of community,” said Lewis May, who told WTOP that it was also his first Porchfest.
But for May, it was a success on more than one front.
“I played with a group that I’m in,” he said.
May and other performers jammed out well past the 6 p.m. end time for eager spectators enjoying a festive, yet relaxed vibe.
“It’s got that good welcoming energy,” he went on. “Especially because it’s free. You can just kind of walk around, and anybody can come.”
May says he might have a new favorite type of concert to play as a musician after Saturday, and that he will definitely be back in Petworth next year.
“Here, everybody’s lit up in the sun, so it just gives you a really beautiful view to look out on as you’re playing,” he reflected.
“I’m a first timer, not a frequent flyer,” said Dustin Picard, who seemed to fall right in line with many others making an inaugural visit to Porchfest.
Picard says the afternoon exceeded all his expectations.
“Really cool vibes, just having the whole neighborhood out here, being able to bump around,” he said when asked about his thoughts on the event.
People of all ages played musical porches, fluttering from stoop to stoop, each band’s set up with its own unique feel.
Picard told WTOP that nothing beats reuniting with your old crew for a jam sesh on the porch. He says his favorite part of it all was seeing his friends.
“We all live in different parts of DC, but what’s really cool is this has brought us all together in this one neighborhood,” Picard said.
