Swampscott Porchfest Returns For 2021 This Weekend

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — More than 30 bands across 17 porches will be playing for the public's viewing and dancing pleasure in Swampscott on Saturday.

After taking 2020 off because of the coronavirus health crisis, ReachArts is bringing back Swampscott PorchFest from noon to 6 p.m. Organizers have been working for months to develop a great lineup of performers and venues to "make it even bigger and better than 2019."

The kick-off will be at ReachArts, 89 Burrill Street at noon. From there, spectators will be able to walk around to the various porches. In 2019, the festival was limited to the Olmstead Districts, but performances are scheduled for more of the town this year.

"We encourage everybody to participate," ReachArts president and co-director Heidi Shear said during Monday night's special town meeting. "It's a nice, outside, COVID-friendly-type event where all of the activities will be taking place at individual porches where people have chosen to host bands.

"We hope everyone will come out. We're looking forward to it."

A schedule of expected performances can be found here.

Organizers, performers, porch hosts, and others all participate as volunteers and all give freely of their time, talents, resources, and hospitality as a neighborhood. Donations pay for banner printing and incidental costs.

Attendees are asked to consider picking up food from one of the local restaurants and packing a picnic. Or, after the finale, head to a local restaurant with friends for dinner. Some hosts
may choose to go all out and provide snacks and refreshments for their audiences, but that is not required.

Alcoholic beverages are not permitted on public property.

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)