FAQs

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  – The Trinity Center for Community’s Code Blue Warming Center is Monmouth County’s ONLY drop-in warming center for people experiencing homelessness. When temperatures fall below 32 degrees, Trinity opens our facility to all those who are unsheltered and at risk of serious injury or death due to exposure to the elements. In addition to warmth and compassion, we provide hospitality, connection with the community, a hot evening meal, and coffee and snacks throughout the evening. Caseworkers are available to meet with guests to assess immediate and long-term needs and provide referrals and follow-up appointments for continuing casework. In the 2024-2025 season, we served 494 individuals during 83 Code Blue nights and sheltered as many as 105 individuals in one evening.

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 October 5, 2025.

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

The 8th annual Porchfest took place on October 1st, 2024, 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 Trinity Churches Code Blue Program, Trinity’s homelessness and housing program.

• 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.
• 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..