The 10th annual Westhaven Porchfest event will take place on Saturday, October 2, 2021, in Westhaven. The daytime events will take place from 2pm to 6pm and the evening concert will take place from 7pm to 10pm. The FAQ below will explain all the details!
Q: What is Porchfest?
A: Porchfest is Westhaven’s annual music festival that consists of live music being played on front porches and in other areas of the community.
Q. How did Porchfest get started?
A: Westhaven founding homeowner and co-founder of The Westhaven Foundation, Mark McCutcheon, read an article about a cool event in Ithaca, NY called Porchfest. He ran the idea by a few fellow music lovers and proposed the idea to folks with the HOA and Southern Land Company. The rest is history!
Q: How has Porchfest evolved over the past 10 years?
A: In the inaugural event, residents volunteered their porches and the event committee assigned musicians to those porches and then attendees gathered at the lake for a small-scale evening concert. The event grew in popularity over the years, requiring streets to be officially closed, hiring of police officers and a parking company to control traffic and parking, and a large group of volunteers to manage the event. In 2019, the event was scaled back to porch music only, with no evening concert. In 2020, amidst COVID, the event was called Parkfest and involved music in open spaces throughout the community, allowing attendees to spread out.
Q: What will Porchfest look like for 2021
A: This year’s event, which happens to be the 10th anniversary of the inaugural Porchfest event, will include components of the three most popular and successful parts of the event.
- Daytime Porch Music- We’ve heard from about 25 residents who are interested in hosting their porch. We are in the process of evaluating the proximity to other host porches and park music and will make a determination in early August regarding which houses are approved. Priority will be given to residents in the order they submitted their request to host. Stay tuned for more information on this! It is important to note that porch hosts are responsible for booking their own music and providing / coordinating sound equipment.
- Parkfest- After last year’s event, we received tons of positive feedback about having music in several of the parks. Many people seemed to enjoy the larger spaces and accessibility to the music. We plan to continue this aspect again this year. The HOA will be booking this music.
- Evening Concert- We are excited to announce that The Westhaven Foundation will be coordinating an evening concert this year featuring Walker Hayes. This will be a ticketed event. Attendees will be required to pre-purchase tickets. There will be options for VIP access and general admission. Chairs will be provided for general admission. Outside food and beverages and personal chairs/blankets are not allowed within the concert area. This event is a fundraiser for The Westhaven Foundation! Proceeds from the event will support our Excellence in Education programs. This event will likely sell out!
Q: Is Porchfest just for residents of Westhaven?
A: No - music is meant to be shared! Porchfest is open to the public but there will not be a great deal of promotion for the daytime events outside of the community.
Q: How do I sign up or have my company sign up to be a sponsor?
A. This is a great opportunity for businesses to gain exposure from residents and everyone else who attends. If you have any specific questions regarding sponsorships, please contact Mark McCutcheon at mark@westhavenfoundation.org.
Q: What happens if it rains?
A: Porchfest is a “rain or shine” event. In case of severe weather, event updates will take place via email and social media.
Q: How are musicians selected to perform?
A: The Porchfest planning committee evaluates and books musicians for parks. Musicians who are interested may email porchfest@southernland.com. Porch hosts will book their own porches.
Q: Where do I get a schedule of what porches are used, who is performing, and performance times?
A: Information will be available at Westhavenporchfest.org.
Q: Will there be food and beverages available?
A: We encourage attendees to visit the Westhaven Town Center restaurants for a wide variety of dining options. There will be a food vendor at the Westhaven Residents’ Club during the day-time portion of the event.
Q: How do people usually move around Westhaven to catch all the music?
A: We highly encourage people to walk or bike from one porch to the other. Street legal golf carts are allowed. If you’d like to rent a golf cart for this event, contact Mikey’s Motors at 615-962-9265.
Q: Is it okay to drive my golf cart to each porch?
A: Yes, street legal golf carts are allowed.
Q: Where should my friends park who don’t live in Westhaven?
A: This is very important! There is ample street parking, however we encourage non-residents to park in the designated parking areas in Westhaven Town Center behind the Vanderbilt Health/First Bank buildings (1015 and 1025 Westhaven Blvd), Pearre Creek Elementary School (1811 Townsend Blvd) or the Westhaven Residents’ Club (401 Cheltenham Ave).
Q: I’d like to help with PorchFest. Where and how do I volunteer?
A: We are in need of volunteers. Visit www.westhavenfoundation.org for a link to sign up.
Q: Where will the restrooms be located?
A: Restrooms will be available at the Westhaven Residents’ Club and in Town Center for the evening concerts.
Q: What do I do if there is a medical emergency?
A: Call 911. If it is a non-life-threatening emergency call (615) 794-2513.
Q: Are pets allowed?
A: Yes - We love our pets, but they must be on a leash.
Q: Are you anticipating closing any streets like last year? If so, which ones?
A: Only a small portion of Front Street will be closed between Oelander and Keats.
Q: Can I park on the street during the event?
A: If you live near the event area, we ask that you refrain from parking on the street the day of the event. If people attending Porchfest see a car parked on the street, they think it’s okay to park there and then our streets get clogged. Our number one priority is safety. We want emergency vehicles to be able to access every home in the community.
Q: Is it okay for my kids to sell popsicles, lemonade, and water?
A: Sure! We just encourage them to do so on sidewalks and not at the Residents’ Club.
Q: Will the Residents’ Club and Fit 2 be open during Porchfest?
A: Yes
We are excited about this year’s event and look forward to a great fall afternoon of music and fellowship!
Porchfest Planning Committee
