I am so very excited that Cranford Porchfest is almost here and  even more thrilled MY PORCH is going to be part of this momentous event! How could I resist when I love this town and an epic collaborative music event is making its inaugural debut! My whole family, including my dog Lucy, has geared up to get our porch ready for three amazing bands in three hours! I sat down again with Randy Geis from Cranford Community Connection to find out everything concert-goers need to know for October 21. Here’s what to expect for the day of the event, how to plan your porch time, and what artists will be featured on the big day!

 

Randy explained that this is a FREE musical event and completely powered by the “do-it-yourself” concept. It is orchestrated by local volunteers, space provided by homeowners, entertainment performed by musicians donating their time, and a day enjoyed by the community! He commented that “every porch host, performer, and attendee is a co-creator and real-time manager of the event.” It’s meant to be an afternoon of families walking around Cranford “enjoying time together and the music we have put together.”

 

How to Plan Your Afternoon: Cranford Porchfest 2017 will take place on Saturday, October 21 starting at 2:00 pm. You can view all of the musical groups and porch locations throughout Cranford here at their Interactive Porchfest Map. Simply click on an icon and see everything happening at a particular home! Keep this map handy and use on your mobile device for the day of the event. Make sure you leave your home in plenty of time to make the first musical acts that start at 2:00 pm and then find what other performers you would like to watch at 3:00 and 4:00 pm! There will be 8 porches participating in Cranford Porchfest with 3 performances at each home. The set up and take down will all occur within the hour. At 5:30 pm the “big act” will perform at Eastman Plaza in front of Track 5 Coffee! (more about that at the end of the article). The road right in front of Track 5 Coffee will be blocked for this performance in order to accommodate the large crowd.

 

What to Bring: There will be no streets closed during the concerts, no outside food vendors brought in, and no souvenirs for sale. The committee encourages everyone to put a chair on their back, bring a stroller, ride a bike, run, or walk the town! They are committed to the sharing of public space! The Cranford Community Connection and Cranford Police would like to remind everyone that this is a family event and public alcohol consumption laws still apply. You are welcome to pack a picnic lunch and enjoy throughout the day. Please keep in mind that these are neighbors’ homes – so please take your trash with you!

 

There will be increased police presence during the day and areas directly in front of each participating house will be sectioned off to allow groups of people to enjoy the music. Each house will have a yard sign saying “Future Cranford Porchfest Location”. If you have any questions at all, you can quickly identify a Porchfest Staff member by their black “Roadies” t-shirt!

Performers: The Porchfest committee has been spotlighting performers on their Cranford Porchfest Facebook Page. They received an outpouring of applications over the summer and are pleased to announce an amazing variety of musical acts. In the mix of performers are artists in the areas of Rock, Folk, Blues, Piano, Irish Rock, Motown, Guitar, Song Writers, and DJs. Some band/solo highlights are Lovehandles, Tam Garcia, Dave D’Amico, Binge, Atomic Jam Band, and Elan Varner. Check out their inspiring stories throughout the different posts! At my porch you can find the highly anticipated Tom Molfetto, Vin Moretti, and Band Substances. The crew at my house can’t wait to hear all of them – and maybe Lucy will surprise everyone with her own one hit wonder!

 

The grand finale of the evening will Cranford’s own Alden Street Band playing at 5:30 pm at the Clocktower at Eastman Plaza! After enjoying the music at the porches, everyone is invited to come together to enjoy this local band! They will be playing your favorite classic rock and pop cover songs. What a way to go out with a bang!

 

Everything you need to know for Cranford Porchfest 2017 is at their website at Cranford Porchfest Website – including the interactive map! The best advice Randy gave was to plan your day and try to visit different porches in town. The committee consciously chose porches within the four quadrants of town – so make it a point to tour Cranford! I can’t wait to see all of your pictures throughout the day using #cranfordporchfest and of course, #coolerincranford! Don’t forget to visit my porch at 7 Hamilton Avenue! The whole community is excited to be out and about in this glorious fall weather and enjoying “24 Bands, 8 Porches, 1 Epic Celebration”!