Growing Older with Porchfest

Once again, on Sunday, Binghamton, New York its West Side became its Fest Side, with the ninth annual Porchfest. 

A porchfest is exactly what the name states - bands set up on porches in a city or town neighborhood and play music on a designated day. The original intention was to bring neighborhoods together, was run by volunteers, and took place in Ithaca, New York in 2007.  This movement has now spread to at least 224 cities and towns in the United States and Canada.

Our first Porchfest in Binghamton was in 2015, with 50 bands on 20 porches, and wasn't even officially sanctioned by the City of Binghamton.  Sunday, there were 140 bands on 64 porches, all between (officially) noon and 7pm. It's family friendly, alcohol free (although there are restaurants serving alcohol) and best of all, there's no admission charge. Contributions and purchase of T-Shirts and other merchandise is more than welcomed but each year there are more and more corporate sponsors, too. 

There is all kinds of music, from rock, to opera, to big band era skits, to classical.  You can even throw in a ukulele, although this young lady (a little more on her tomorrow) also played electric guitar and a keyboard.  A couple of her original songs, accompanied by ukulele,  were pretty good.

Here are some of my past Binghamton Porchfest posts:

Porchfest 2023

Porchfest Preview (2022)

Porchfest 2021 

Your Grandmother Would be Ashamed 

Won't you Be My Neighbor? (2019) 

Porchfest 2017  

What Makes a Community a Community (Our first Porchfest, 2015) 

and, finally, 2020, the year it was cancelled due to you-know-what, Musical August Memories

So, why is my post called Growing Old with Porchfest?

This year, the sun got to me early.  I only stayed about two and a half hours and I left one venue after 15 minutes because the music was just Too Loud. (Perhaps the huge speakers by the house should have given me a clue.)

In some previous years we did come early (parking is easier), left, and then came back later in the day.  But that didn't appeal this year.  

Time flies.  I can measure myself and my energy level against the memories of 2015 and come up a little short.  I know low energy and aging don't necessarily go together.  A 92 year old woman I've known for some 50 years has taught me that. But there are some adjustments I need to make for Porchfest 2025.

So, yes, I was tired.  But I recovered overnight.  Yesterday it was on the road to the New York State fair for a concert.  More on that another time.

As for Porchfest, there's always next year, with some better planning.