You are Porchfest

Modesto Porchfest is a day of independent porch parties. Modesto Porchfest organizers can facilitate matching porch hosts with musicians, but this is your event. Thank you for offering your porches and talent to this community event!

Here is how it works

Porches and Musicians can find each other, or the Porchfest organizers can help match you up. You can let us know on your application if you need to be matched with a porch or musicians. We always have more musicians apply than spots at host porches. We prioritize local bands that have sets suitable for a residential neighborhood, and according to the host’s genre preferences.

Read through the details below to see if you are a good fit for Porchfest.

Porch Hosts and musicians apply to get on the official Porchfest maps. Organizers will email everyone on April 1st with the match results and proposed lineup.

APPLICATIONS WILL BE OPEN MID-FEB TO EARLY MARCH

The details…

PORCH HOSTS

Porches are residential homes in the area within this boundary map. (Boundary map not yet updated for 2026… stay tuned!) This keeps the event manageable and safe.

Most porches have 1-2 bands. You can let Porchfest organizers know your genre preferences on the application, or you can let us know what bands you already have lined up.

You have full control and responsibility of your own porch party! Line up a food truck, set up chairs and blankets, or just let folks come and sit on your lawn.

Any porch, driveway, or outdoor space facing the street will work (no backyards).  We will need to turn down a porch if it is on a busier street and if there is not a safe space for a crowd to gather. 

You must have an electrical outlet that musicians can plug into.

Porch/home owners are ultimately responsible for what happens on their property, just as they would be at any other time.  

Some porch hosts choose to close down their streets so people can gather in the streets safely. Porch hosts are responsible for applying for a city permit to do so.

MUSICIANS

Musicians play a family-friendly set at a volume appropriate for a residential neighborhood. Think Sunday afternoon chill vibes. Solo acts, ensembles, and bands are all welcome! Acoustic acts are great, and those that can keep volume at a considerate level appropriate for a neighborhood concert.

All bands need to have at least a 60 minute set of family-friendly music.  

This is a local event, and priority is given to local performers.

Tip jars are encouraged, and we will be encouraging participants to tip generously.

Please provide your own cords and equipment - including a PA. Your porch hosts provide power, but you will need to coordinate anything else you need to perform.

You are welcome to distribute/sell your recordings and merchandise.​ Bring a tip jar!

Every year, we have many more bands sign up than open porches. Please be understanding that we are limited to the open porches and their genre preferences. 

PORCHFEST ORGANIZERS

Organizers publish a map and schedule of porches and musicians, help match up porches and bands, provide porta-poties throughout the area, and keep the public informed.

A four-member band performs outdoors on a small stage in front of a house, with two male guitarists, a female vocalist, and a male drummer. The setting is a garden with greenery and roses, during daytime.
A smiling man wearing sunglasses, a baseball cap, and a white t-shirt holding a turquoise electric bass guitar, outdoors in a backyard with trees and houses in the background.
A band performing live on an outdoor stage with a white classical style arch and columns, surrounded by green trees. The band includes musicians playing string instruments and a person singing and playing guitar. Audience members are seated, some wearing hats, enjoying the performance.