Music fills Long Beach neighborhoods for Porch Fest

The community of Long Beach was alive with music this past weekend during the second annual Porch Fest.

Held on May 18 from 2 to 6 p.m., residents and visitors enjoyed a variety of performances right in their neighborhoods, bringing people together through the arts.

The festivities began with a pre-party at Bright Eye Beer Co. on May 17, featuring The Katie Mitchell Band and other special guests. Official Long Beach Porch Fest 2024 T-shirts were available for purchase and maps were given out, adding to the anticipation.

Porch Fest, organized by the Long Beach Arts Council in collaboration with the city government, the Kiwanis Club and Artists in Partnership Inc., built on the success of last year’s debut. This year’s event was larger, supported by a $5,000 grant from the Huntington Arts Council 2024 Statewide Community Regrant Program and many local business sponsors.

“We had a great event this year,” Katie Mitchell, secretary of the arts council, said. “We’re estimating that there were well over 1,000 people in attendance, mostly biking and walking from location to location. We had seven different homes featured in this year’s event with three musical acts per home - 21 musical acts making non-stop music for four hours. Even when it started to rain a bit, the crowds stuck around for the music.”

Musical acts included Deez Guyzz, Maxine Vandate, Breakaway, Twisted Troubadours, Sam Goorland, Wrong Sister, Weird Fiction, Reggaelar People, RPM, Funk Island Sound, Second Chance Jazz Band, Totem, Category 3, Last Licks, Diamond Groove, Current Company, Drama Club, The Mutineers, The Alright Guys, Off the Record and The Young and the Reckless.

Following the day’s performances, an after-party at Bright Eye Beer Co. extended the celebration and served as a fundraiser for the Kiwanis Club, supporting local initiatives.

With the success of this year’s Porch Fest, Long Beach has strengthened its community spirit and celebration of the arts, ensuring that Porch Fest will be a beloved tradition for years to come.

“The feedback from the community is incredible, many people are asking to have Porch Fest more than once a year and we are getting tons of ideas for ways to grow and improve for next year,” Mitchell said. “This is a really lovely community building event that requires the collaboration of homeowners, musicians, volunteers, citizens, business owners and the city and showcases how much we love music here in the City by the Sea.”

For more information and updates on upcoming events, visit LBNY-Arts.org.