With Jacksonville having such a powerful music community, it’s no wonder that festival promoters want to continue to bring unique events to the First Coast. The concept of front porch stages in specific neighborhoods used for festival style music events is not native to North Florida, but Jax PorchFest organizer, Michael Haskins, has done a great job in producing our own PorchFest in Springfield and it’s now in its tenth year. This year PorchFest takes place on November 9th and offers a great variety of music, complete with performances by iconic local bands like Rambler Kane and Annie Dukes.
But where did the concept of porch fest style entertainment begin? According to Google, ‘Porchfest is a music festival that originated in Ithaca, New York in 2007. The idea for the festival came from Gretchen Hildreth and Lesly Green, who wanted to bring together local musicians and neighbors to celebrate music and community. The first Porchfest featured about 20 musicians, but has since grown to include over 180 artists. The concept has spread throughout the United States and to Canada, with over 220 Porchfests known to exist.’ Porchfest was inspired by some outdoor ukulele playing and a conversation between Hildreth and Greene. They came up with the idea for it that day and gathered 20 bands to make it happen in September of that year. The number of bands has increased every year since then, with 185 in 2016.
Celebrating its tenth year, Jax PorchFest has featured many of the First Coast’s top musical acts over the years and 2024 is no different. With bands like Dean Winter and the Heat, Deja Symone, and Rambler Kane, local music fans will have the opportunity to hear a wide variety of genres, all within walking distance of one stage, or porch, to another. PorchFest organizer, Michael Haskins said, “We are truly blessed to have such a wide variety of musical interests at this year’s event. From Hip Hop to Reggae to Country to rock and even some Rap, we have something for everyone!”
Putting together an event of this magnitude is no easy task. Haskin’s right hand man, or woman in this case, Meghan Waters told us, “We are excited this year to bring a professional size stage in Klutho Park (204 W 3rd Street, Jacksonville, FL 32206) for our headliner. It’s going to be really cool with Jacksonville’s skyline in the background.” Waters went on to add, “while I am the point of contact for the bands, porch hosts, etc, and handle all that contracting/communication/etc, the band and porch selections (and many other crucial elements of the festival) are supported by a handful of invaluable volunteers, some of whom have been a part of PorchFest since its early years. Mike (Haskins) and I do the heavy lifting and all the nitty gritty planning, but our volunteers contribute to this festival in enormous ways and it wouldn’t be possible without them.”
In addition to the musical aspect of Jax PorchFest, food vendors and specialty vendors will be set up to provide food, drink and family fun for all.
This year’s event, put on by put on by Springfield Preservation And Revitalization (SPAR), takes place in Klutho Park, and the surrounding southwest quadrant of Historic Springfield (First to Fifth Street, Main Street to Pearl Street). The festival entrance is at 1st and Boulevard. The Welcome Tent is at 3rd and Boulevard. Proceeds from the festival support public arts in Jacksonville’s Urban Core. Since PorchFest began in 2014, proceeds have funded murals, a sculpture in Klutho Park, painted crosswalks, and more.
By sheer coincidence, one of North Florida’s most popular bands, the Annie Dukes, will perform from 3:45 to 5:00 at 1344 North Silver Street. Fronted by Jacksonville native, Cassidy Lee, the Annie Dukes have risen in prominence, firstly by their unique style of rock/grunge/soul style music, but secondly by Lee’s presence on NBC’s hit music show, The Voice. Cassidy was chosen by Michael Buble in the blind audition rounds and continued on the show when Reba MacIntyre “stole” her from Buble’s team.
No matter what genre is your music of choice, Jax PorchFest has something for everyone. For more information on Jax PorchFest go to www.jaxporchfest.org.
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Mike is a native First Coaster and was a leading figure in surfing and skateboarding for most of his life. After promoting music for many years on the local music scene, Mike now brings a unique perspective to FirstCoast.Life as a contributing writer.
