Is PorchFest walkable?

Yes - Asbury Park is very walkable! You can walk, ride bikes or scooters, and push strollers as you move from porch to porch. Please use sidewalks when moving from house to house and enjoy music on lawns and walkways at each location. The APPD has asked that PorchFest participants not stand in the street at participating Porch Fest locations.

What should I bring with me?

Bring your own folding chair, water, and an umbrella just in case we get sprinkles or to block the sun. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes..

What should I leave at home?

• No open containers are permitted at PorchFest. The APPD has informed us they will issue summonses to PorchFest attendees for open containers..
• While you can bring your WELL-BEHAVED dog, we don't recommend it. YOU are responsible for your dog's actions. Some dogs get nervous around crowds and loud music. We wouldn't want a dog bite or fight to ruin everyone's day!.

Will there be bathrooms?

PorchFest host homes are not obligated to provide facilities to participants. Please plan accordingly and patronize local eating and drinking establishments before, during, and after PorchFest..

Eating and drinking?

Attendees are welcome to bring water. We will highlight local food vendors closer to the event. Porches that sponsor food trucks will be noted on Map along with some local eating establishments..

Do the artists get paid?

NO! All PorchFest musicians, administrators, and event day assistants are volunteers. Admission is FREE and open to the entire community. Performers are encouraged to sell their CDs and other merchandise at the event.

DONATIONS at individual PorchFest sites benefit Mercy Center - A food bank with dignity serving over 3,000 local families a month Trinity Churches Code Blue program  - Funds from Porchfest donations would support Trinity's homelessness and housing program. Last year, their Code Blue Winter Warming Center served 345 people (21% of whom were women) over 65 nights when temperatures dropped below freezing, with up to 77 guests per night. The primary aim of the program is to save lives: to prevent people from freezing to death. They also provide a warm, welcoming, non-judgmental space, where volunteers and local businesses provide lovingly prepared meals. There are only 3 Code Blue sites in Monmouth County, and Trinity--which has double the capacity of the next largest site--is the only drop-in center where people can come at any hour of the night. In addition to emergency shelter, their holistic housing program assisted 57 people facing homelessness in obtaining a safe, stable place to live. Participants in the housing program also benefit from wraparound services to help them thrive and stay in their housing.

Are you closing the streets during this event?

Stay tuned for updates on street closures for PorchFest 2024..

Is there a rain date?

Yes, but let's hope we don't need it. Should we be rained out, we will move the fun to Sunday, September 29th.

Where did my donations go last year? Glad you asked.

The 7th annual Porchfest took place on October 1st, 2023, with more than 7,000 attendees. Your generous donations helped Mercy Center feed more than 2,500 local food-insecure people and funding for the Asbury Park African-American Music Project, which is revitalizing Asbury Park’s historic jazz scene and working to revive the legendary Turf Club on Springwood Avenue.

• Asbury Park African-American Music Project (AP-AMP) celebrates the storied history of Springwood Avenue in Asbury Park. AP-AMP's mission is to share the music, cultural heritage, and stories of Springwood Avenue through oral histories, research, writing, and programs..
• Interfaith Neighbors assists the less fortunate in meeting life’s necessities and seeks to improve the quality of life in local communities. It offers eight distinct programs: affordable housing, neighborhood revitalization, SOAR, Meals on Wheels, rental and mortgage assistance, a business development center, and Kula Cafe and Kula Urban Farm. In addition to funding free meals for AP residents in need, Interfaith helps fund The Launch Center on Springwood Ave. This free resource helps people in Asbury Park with life coaching, career preparation, small business coaching, and much more. Interfaith is also launching an early childhood learning center in the Southwest section of the city, which will provide free care for local children from birth to age 3..
• Mercy Center strives to alleviate generational poverty, by providing services, programs, and education in the Asbury Park area. It seeks to empower people, enrich lives, and educate children, and in addition to its free and extensive food pantry (which serves 3,000 food-insecure families), it offers personal care items, clothing, and temporary assistance with utility bills, a Family Resource Center, and the Sisters Academy of New Jersey, a tuition-free, independent school for girls in grades four through eight..

Covid guidelines are ever-evolving. Please check back for any changes to the protocols.