Moorestown Porch Fest To Bring Live Bands To Local Stoops

MOORESTOWN, NJ — Moorestown will soon have some new venues for live music: your neighbors' stoops.

Dozens of local bands will perform throughout the township during Moorestown Porch Fest — a fundraiser supporting Perkins Center for the Arts.

Concerts will take place May 18 at more than 20 different sites — primarily from residents' porches — throughout Moorestown's historic district.

Ian Thomas, a local realtor who organized Porch Fest, was inspired by similar events in Collingswood and Asbury Park. With Moorestown's tree-lined streets and historic homes, Thomas thought a porch festival would be perfect for the township where he was born and raised.

Two members of local organizations helped Thomas make the idea a reality: Mark Hines of the Moorestown Music Collective and Gretchen Simmerson of Homegrown Moorestown.

Organizers intend to hold Moorestown Porch Fest annually, supporting a different local nonprofit every year. Each concert is free, but attendees will be encouraged to purchase t-shirts and make donations during the event.

Thomas originally expected 10 or 15 bands to sign up. But to his surprise, the event has drawn nearly 80 acts spanning different genres.

"For some acts, this will be their first performance," Thomas told Patch. "They've been practicing in the garage for six months, and this will be their premier show. Other bands are veterans of the Philly music scene, so there really is a wide variety."

After organizers put a call-out on social media, several residents volunteered their porches and front lawns as venues. All locations are within close proximity:

Feedback from neighbors has been overwhelmingly positive, Thomas says. But the event has still taken steps to ensure that excessive noise isn't an issue.

"We've set the expectation with bands that you're coming into a residential neighborhood and volume should reflect that," Thomas said.

Visit Moorestown Porch Fest's website for more info, including concert lineups and times.