Porchfest Returns to Fall Creek and Northside for an 18th Year

ITHACA, N.Y. — Porchfest returns on Sunday, September 20, running from noon to 6 p.m. across the Fall Creek and Northside neighborhoods north of downtown.

This is the 18th annual edition of the festival, which began in Ithaca in 2007 and has since been copied in more than 260 other places across the United States, Canada and Australia that the organizers know of.

Admission is free, and there are no tickets. The event is open to anyone who wants to attend or perform.

How it works

Musicians play from the porches of houses in the two neighborhoods. In past years performances have also spilled onto driveways, lawns and into neighborhood parks.

There is no main stage and no single site. Attendees move between porches on foot over the six hours.

The schedule is still being built

Band signups closed on August 15, and organizers say they are working on the schedule.

The 2026 performer list, the porch assignments and the map had not been published as of August 31. Organizers have asked people to watch the festival’s front page or join its mailing list for the announcement.

The number of acts playing this year has not been released. For scale, the festival listed about 170 performers and groups in 2024.

From 20 bands to an export

Porchfest was started in 2007 by neighbors Gretchen Hildreth and Lesley Greene, after some outdoor ukulele playing and a conversation between neighbors. They recruited 20 bands for the first one. The artist Nina Widger took part in the planning and made the festival’s artwork that year and for several after.

The organizing group grew with it. Andy Adelewitz joined in 2013. Robbert Greene wrote the scheduling software in 2014. Katie Foley has organized the food trucks since 2018.

By 2016 the number of performers had reached 185. Roughly 100 volunteers now work the event on the day, in two-hour shifts.

The Ithaca festival is the original. Wikipedia’s list of Porchfests, which the site describes as partial, runs across a long span of US states and Canadian provinces.

Makers Market and food vendors

The Makers Market returns for a fourth year. Applications for it closed on August 20, and food vendor applications closed on August 10.

This year’s Porchfest artwork was made by Kelby Woodside. It will be sold on t-shirts, tote bags and other merchandise at the festival and afterward.

How it is paid for

Porchfest is funded in part by a Tompkins County Community Celebrations grant, along with a percentage of merchandise sales, fees from vendors and donations from neighbors.

Organizers list the festival’s costs as insurance, permits, private security, portable restroom facilities, and other equipment and personnel.

Porchfest schedule updates are posted on the festival’s site.

Ithaca Porchfest, Sunday, September 20, 2026, noon to 6 p.m., in the Fall Creek and Northside neighborhoods of Ithaca, New York. Free admission. Funded in part by a Tompkins County Community Celebrations grant. 2026 artwork by Kelby Woodside.

Sources: Porchfest, Porchfest history, Wikipedia, The Ithaca Times festival guide.