When is Porchfest 2026?
We are honored to be partnering with the Sebastopol Center for the Arts by having a “Hardly-Porchfest mini-pre-Festival” at SebArts on Saturday, June 6th from noon – 6pm.
Last year we were at SebArts in Ives Park but THIS September we will be back on the porches of Sebastopol. Stay tuned for the official announcement of which Sebastopol neighborhood will host this glamours event!
That main event will be Saturday, September 12, 2026. Noon – 6pm.
If you’d like Porchfest to visit your neighborhood, let us know where!
When and where is it going to be this year?
June 6th, 2026: Pre-Porchfest Benefit at Sebastopol Center for the Arts in Ives Park!
The 3 SebArts stages will be on the Judd patio, the ceramics patio and inside on the main stage.
September 12, 2026. In a secret yet-to-be-announced neighborhood of Sebastopol.
Why are we collecting donations and sponsors?
A FREE mini-festival with 40+ bands and 10 stages isn’t ‘free’. It costs a lot to rent things and get permits, etc.
Porchfest Sebasatopol covers sound systems, sound engineers, porta-potties, signage, permits, ads, website and other things. We are a non-profit and we’re all volunteers.
How can I be a model attendee?
So glad you asked! Here are some tips.
Whatever you bring, pack it out too. Leave no trace. This is our neighborhood.
Use the port-a-potties (really!)
Respect the space.
Bring a folding chair if you like to sit.
Visit the food trucks and wine garden.
Bring your own beer cup if you drink beer.
Visit local businesses! We are members of the Sebastopol Chamber of Commerce and there are many different businesses you’d sure like to support.
How can I be involved?
This is going to take a village. Get involved in this one-of-a-kind-in-Sebastopol event.
We are still looking for volunteers!
What is a PorchFest?
Porchfest began in the Fall Creek and Northside neighborhoods of Ithaca, New York in 2007, inspired by some outdoor ukulele playing and a conversation between neighbors. They came up with the idea for it that day and gathered 20 bands to make it happen in September of that year.
The number of independent Porchfests has increased every year since then, with an official 225 porchfests around the world in 2024 including Canada and Australia.
Who is putting this on?
Your neighbors! We are musicians, artists and fun-loving souls who believe in hands-on community participation. Read here about our Team. We all live in Sebastopol and love it here.
Can I donate or sponsor a band or stage?
Yes! We are dependent on your tax-deductible donations and sponsorships. You can sponsor a band, a stage or just give to this worthy cause. Donate or Sponsor.
I live in Sebastopol and I’d like to be part of this
Complete the Get Involved form and let us know how you’d like to help out. It takes a village.
Who is the Sebastopol PorchFest Association?
We are music lovers and community organizers. We have started a 501(c)(3) public charity, the Sebastopol PorchFest Association, in order to receive tax deductible donations and in-kind sponsorships.
We have a five-member board of directors, have regular meetings with minutes and have a non-profit bank account at Community First Credit Union in Sebastopol.
Interested for next year? Ping us!
Where does the event take place?
Twice! Saturday, June 6th at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts in Ives Park. Noon-6pm.
Saturday, September 12th, 2026, we will be back in Sebastopol, CA at a yet-to-be-disclosed neighborhood location. We promise we’re trying hard for it to be on porches again.
Announcement coming soon.
Can my band play?
The theory of Porchfest is that anyone can host a band on their porch. In addition to that, we’ve set up centralized booking, stage selection and sound systems for a select number of stages.
We will still book and manage the stages in 2026 but you don’t have to be approved to participate on your own porch!
Ideally, the community will set up their own stages with or without amplified sound and host acts on their own porch. We don’t even have to be involved but we’d love to include your address on our master map and band listings page. That way we can direct audiences to your porch as well!
Who else does a PorchFest?
Hundreds of communities around the world!
I’m interested in hosting music on my porch
Excellent! Please complete the Get Involved form and we’ll add your house and address to the master map. List the names of the acts you’ll be hosting so we can add them to the master promo list.
Some considerations:
- Let your neighbors know well in advance!
- If you run amplified sound, keep it under 70 decibels.
- Please adhere to the hours of 12:00AM to 6:00PM for music. We love after hours parties too but Porchfest likes to keep our promises and this is one of them.
- For best results, feed the musicians!