If you missed 2019 Porchfest, then you were one of the few. This past Saturday, the Elmwood Village was rocking, with upwards of 100 musicians and bands playing throughout the course of the day – see list of bands. Now, I’ve attended every Porchfest, since the idea was born on Buffalo Rising, and carried forth by the Elmwood Village Association. The idea was hatched back in 2013. Since that time, Porchfest has grown into an insatiable crowd pleaser, with each passing year getting better and better.
Saturday’s Porchfest catapulted the event into local event stardom. Elmwood Avenue was like nothing that I had ever seen. That’s because the business community is finally starting to get into the action, including cafés such as Spot Coffee. Another interesting element is the number of lawn and porch parties that are taking place these days. It seemed as if every other house in the Village was barbecuing, playing games, or simply hosting gatherings for friends and family. This was also the first year that we heard that people were coming from as far away as Rochester and Canada to attend the event.
Those who were not sitting up on porches and lawns, were walking the streets in search of bands. There were people carrying around instruments, coolers, strollers… and dogs! This was the first year that we brought our dogs along, and probably the last – by the end of the day I thought my arm was going to fall off from so many canine encounters. Throughout the course of the day, we must have rubbed noses with about 1000 dogs. They were everywhere. Everyone knows that Buffalo is a dog town, but until yesterday I never realized just how dog-friendly this city has become. There were dog watering stations in front of businesses, and Charlie the Butcher had free dog biscuits in a jar for hungry four legged passersby.
Suffice to say that the Elmwood Village Porchfest has escalated to an entirely new level. Who would have ever thought that this event would become such a sensation, and staple, of the Buffalo band scene. It’s all rather exciting – I can’t wait to see where this takes us in years to come.
On Saturday, June 8, South Buffalo is hosting its inaugural Porchfest. Incredibly, the event is right out of the gate with 75 bands! If you missed the Elmwood Village version on Porchfest, then you’re going to want to catch the South Buffalo version on Saturday, June 8, from 1pm to 5pm. I’m planning on attending both this year, because it’s a great way to discover new bands in Buffalo’s wonderfully welcoming and charming neighborhoods.
