Mark your calendars and save the date: Mt. Airy Porchfest is back! The second Saturday in September has become almost as significant to Mt. Airy residents as the first day of the school year. According to sources, this year’s iteration promises to be the best yet. Music lovers and friends of music lovers transform charming porches, driveways, and open spaces into vibrant stages for area musical talent.
For the past four years, music enthusiasts, locals, and visitors have strolled the leafy, tree-lined streets of the neighborhood, soaking up culture and camaraderie, and catching performances from musicians as diverse as the crowds.
This volunteer-led, free community event blossomed thanks in large part to the tireless efforts of co-organizers Lynda O’Leary and Tim Osborne. “Mt. Airy has such a strong, fantastic, lovely community,” O’Leary said, reflecting on the festival’s beginnings. “A community event like this just feels like such a natural thing to do.”
‘Trial by fire’
Inspired by other Porchfests, including the lively version in West Philadelphia, the spark in Mt. Airy emerged from a desire to reconnect neighbors following the pandemic. “Part of the problems with the pandemic were that everybody became really isolated,” O’Leary explained. “So our hope with this event was not just to bring this to the community, but also get people reengaging with their neighbors and coming back out into the community.”
The first Mt, Airy Porchfest in 2022 was a “trial by fire” as organizers navigated the logistics of such a large-scale, decentralized event. Every part of Mt. Airy wanted to participate. As soon as word got out, East and West Mt. Airy wanted in. They’ve got porches and musicians too, you know.
Both Osborne and O’Leary praise each other’s contributions to the festival’s success and are adamant that it’s a team effort; it’s the Mt. Airy way. “Lynda is a very, very organized person, which is super great,” Osborne said. “So she was very instrumental in pulling all these things together.”
Their initial strategy was “slow and steady,” as O’Leary described it. “We didn’t want it to implode on us,” she laughed. “Our metrics were always based on the first year getting people to understand what Porchfest is for those who didn’t already know, then to get the word out and help people understand this is a free community event.”
Helping spread the word about who’s playing at Porchfest is Max Morgan. At 36, Max is described as one of the “young people” bringing energy and social media prowess to the fest’s planning and communication.
In addition to his volunteer responsibilities, Morgan also hosts. This year, he’s clearing his porch for the Lehigh Valley rock band Elephant, who will use Morgan’s porch as a stage for their performance.
Here’s how it works: when you sign up for Porchfest, either as a musician or as a person with a porch, O’Leary and volunteer Patrick Arkins (aka musician Sad Patrick, who is also responsible for the Porchfest map) play matchmaker. Morgan explained, “They start matching up people who signed up as hosts but don’t have bands, and then people who signed up as bands.”
Once everyone is confirmed, Arkins goes to work on the map. All genres of music are welcome, and the 2025 lineup runs the artistic gamut, from blues, folk, and funk, to pop, R&B, rock, and even Klezmer (traditional Ashkenazi Jewish folk music). However, to avoid the inevitable cacophony and noise complaints from neighbors, the performances are staggered and usually last an hour.
Cultivating community
The slow rollout O’Leary and Osborne aimed for has made an impact. “Every single year it keeps getting bigger,” O’Leary enthused. “People, overwhelmingly, tell us how much they love this event. They look forward to the event, and we are starting to see people just coming back again and again, and it feels like it’s really starting to take off.”
Osborne echoed that sentiment, noting the organic growth. “In past years, we had to do a lot more connecting with people and going back and forth with homeowners and musicians,” he said. “But now, we opened up registrations, and I think we have almost, like, 40 porches.”
Beyond the music, Porchfest brings people together. “A lot of times, people don’t really know their neighbors,” Osborne said. “So when you go out and do something like Porchfest, you’re like, ‘Oh, I was partying in the street with this dude I’ve lived down the street with for all year, and I never thought to ever talk to him.”
Alex Levin, a musician who will perform at Porchfest for the first time this year, agreed, emphasizing the platform the event offers local artists. “It’s such a unique way to perform,” Levin explained. “As a local artist, it’s fantastic to be able to play for your community, right where you live. The vibe is always so supportive and joyful. It feels less like a gig and more like a big block party.”
Mt. Airy Porchfest, Saturday, Sept. 13, 1-7 p.m., rain or shine, with afterparty at Tired Hands Biergarten, 6730 Germantown Ave., Mt. Airy, 7-9 p.m. For more information and an event map, visit mtairyporchfest.com.
