From Maplewood Porchfest:
Labor Day weekend can be bittersweet, since it marks the end of ‘summer vacation’, and our transition to life back at home, at work and in school.
But if there’s any event that makes it feel great to be back in SOMA, it’s Maplewood Porchfest, which happens the day before Labor Day every year, this year on Sunday September 3.
As always, Maplewood’s Hilton neighborhood will come alive between 1p.m. and 5 p.m. with dozens and dozens of bands and performers playing music on dozens of porches, as thousands of people stroll, bike, push strollers, and sit, listen and sing along with the fun.
This year there are nearly 50 musical performances happening on 28 Hilton porches, lawns and driveways. Performances will span all genres, from indie rock, grunge and classic rock to jazz, folk, classical and — unclassifiable.
For example, Porchfest-goers can sample the next wave of local talent by catching Hypnotized, Sasso, and Ayla Soleil, three bands made up of super-talented local teens playing alt and indie rock, and reggae.
As always, the more mature fare will include lots of energetic ‘Dad-bands,’ often with tongue-in-cheek names. This year you can catch The Honey-Dos, two dads playing songs about spies, gunfighters, and mail-order brides, and Over My Dad Body, guys playing original songs about the dad life in the style of Nirvana and ’90s indie rock.
See photos by Tracy Sham from the 2022 Porchfest here: PHOTOS: Hilton Hits High Note With 5th Annual Maplewood Porchfest
But that’s only the beginning. There will be a host of great jazz bands, including Meant To Be, and The Jazz Express and the New Orleans-tinged Jackson Square, to keep things swinging. There are ukulele playing duos, solo artists, folk trios, sing-along specialists, and mystery acts like The Coverup, a group fronted by a woman known only as “Madam X.”
Everyone is invited to get involved in making music — or noise — as the case may be. Porchfest kicks off at 12:15 with a festive New Orleans-style “Honk Parade” in which families, kids, horn players, drummers and dancers take to the street making joyous music. If you’re interested in joining, organizers encourage you to dress colorfully and bring noisemakers!
Porchfest is first and foremost a community event, a celebration of the myriad connections between locals who share a love of music and art. Homeowners donate their homes, driveways, lawns and porches. Talented musicians donate their music. Neighborhood kids run lemonade stands to raise money for worthy causes like MEND, which supports local food pantries. There’s also a sensory-friendly quiet room, at the DeHart Community Center, for any neurodivergent neighbors who would like respite from the music and activity of Porchfest.
This is the 6th annual Maplewood Porchfest, a volunteer-run event made possible with the help of Maplewood Community Music; the Hilton Neighborhood Association; Township Committee member Vic De Luca; and the Maplewood Police Department.
