Second annual Porchfest aims to bring the community together

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The South is known for its food, music and so much more.

On Oct. 26 however, hospitality will be the primary focus as Vicksburg Porchfest hosts its second annual Porchfest event.

The historic Fostoria area of Drummond street will be crowded with food, fun, sweet Southern folks and live music from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“Believe it or not, Porchfest started in Ithaca, New York in 2007, and it’s just really taken off across the country,” said Vicksburg Porchfest organizer Elizabeth Nelson. “There are over a hundred communities hosting these events across the U.S. and I think now in Canada as well. Our area, the Fostoria area on Drummond Street, is a front porch community. Some neighbors and I were talking about how there’s so much great talent and music in Mississippi and thought this would be something great and different for the community to try out last year, and it’s gotten a lot of positive feedback from everyone who participated, so here we are in our second year.”

Folks enjoying Porchfest last year.

The event will feature beautifully decorated historic porch fronts, several vendors and the main attraction: live music.

“I’ve been anxious to share the musician list with everyone,” said Nelson. “There are 18 artists this year and they are all volunteering to perform at the event. We haven’t sorted out who’s going to perform on what porch, yet, but we plan to sort that out over the next couple of weeks.”

The list of artists scheduled to perform are: Kevin Thompson; Steve Fadden; Hatchie River Bottom Slough Boy – Eddy Cresap; Zechariah Lloyd; Ralph Miller; Patchwork; Simpatico; Butch Nasif; Travis Dunlap – “Blue Collar Cowboy”; Bill Ellison; Mark Doyle & Dr. Who – The Blues Experience; Shannon Myers; Terry Busby, Lisa Oxley, Dena Boggen and Steve English; McAllister Brother’s Duo; Richard McCommas – The Beatle’s Guy; Lee H. Abraham and The Boone Brothers; Backwater; and Patrick Smith.

Musicians will be performing throughout the entire event, and for those interested, early arrival is highly suggested.

“We have several big-name artists who are going to be performing starting at 11,” Nelson said. “So people are going to want to get there early and set up their chairs if they plan on staying.”

Porchfest embodies the hospitality of the South as people in the community come together to not only enjoy each other but to help each other as well.

“We have several musicians who are going above and beyond to help with this event,” she said. “They are a part of our music team, and they volunteer their equipment to other musicians who don’t have any. Their names are Jenni Piazza Owen, Butch Nasif, and Misty and Jason Fairchild. We couldn’t do this without them.”

2018 Porchfest map. Look for an update for this year, soon.

Vicksburg Porchfest has several sponsors that helped fund the event, including the City of Vicksburg, May & Company, Guaranty Bank, Mutual Credit Union, Realtor’s Association and H & M.

Porchfest is completely free and organizers welcome everyone to come out and enjoy the day. 

“This event is just about bringing the community together,” Nelson said. “We’re doing something positive and showcasing the musicians in a unique way and showcasing the beautiful architecture that our city has to offer.”

To learn more about this event or to volunteer, contact Vicksburg Porchfest on Facebook or via email at VicksburgPorchfest@gmail.com.

“We’re so saturated with technology, and I think that sometimes people feel disconnected from each other,” Nelson said. “So having this event where people can come together and reconnect with old friends and make new friends is just refreshing for all.”