Over 700 people rocked out to the music of over 20 local bands on porches throughout the day on May 17 at Love Your Neighbor Projects' fourth annual Rock for Love Porchfest.
The all-day walking music tour also raised nearly $22,000.
"What gets created on a day like our Rock for Love Porchfest goes far beyond what meets the eye," said Love Your Neighbor Project's Chief Neighbor Jaime Teich. "Its true success isn't measured by how many tickets are sold or how many bands get booked. It's measured in moments—neighbors singing side by side, strangers dancing together, and a shared sense of community that transcends differences."
Attendees at this year's festival were able to purchase a $20 map of the village detailing the locations and times at which the bands that have signed on will perform on the porches of some of Sea Cliff's homes.
Porchfest participants also had the option to ditch the paper map and access an interactive digital tour map for $40. Finally, the VIP package contains a Porchfest shirt, one stainless steel water bottle, and one Love Your Neighbor Project towel for $100.
In addition, this year's festival featured a built-in dinner break with local restaurants, Foster, Still Partners, Tavern 227, and The Onione Tree providing grab-and-go meals for attendees.
Sean Llewellyn, Love Your Neighbor Project's logistics manager and one of the founders of the porch-based musical festival, said that while the charity has yet to decide whether to continue the dinner break next year, it will always try to give back to stores throughout the village.
"We do want to continue to do everything we can to support our village and our local businesses that help keep local music going throughout the year," he said. "It was one of my great hopes in creating and developing this event for Sea Cliff that it would not only be a present to folks in the community, but also a way of showing some of the rest of the world a little glimpse into just how cool a town we are."
Molly Deegan, the owner and broker at the event's main sponsor, Branch Real Estate Group, attended it and hailed it as a complete success, praising the energy, music, and turnout throughout the day.
"While it's been successful every year to date, this year knocked it out of the park," she said. "The experience of being at Porchfest highlights what a beautiful community this is. Seeing all of those people from both Sea Cliff and the surrounding areas come together to enjoy a day like this is such an homage to my hometown and what makes it so special."
