This past Friday, October 23rd, Virginia-Highland District (@virginiahighlanddistrict on Instagram) announced on social media that their iconic annual Porchfest, which began in 2021, will be taking a brief hiatus next year. Keep scrolling to learn more about this difficult decision, and what it means for the future of Porchfest.
Wait… what’s going on?
You read that right. Next year, Va-Hi is putting a pause on their annual Porchfest event, a day of live music, local bands, community building and shopping at local businesses.
Virginia-Highland District posted on social media,
Porchfest has grown since its modest beginnings in 2021. In some ways, it has grown beyond the capacity of our neighborhood. We want to meet that growth with the right structure and support, so we are pausing Porchfest in 2027 to reimagine the festival for its return in 2028… This was not an easy decision. We conducted studies, gathered input from event partners, neighbors, attendees, and participants, and we took a hard look at what this event needs to rock safely and responsibly.
In other words–Porchfest is NOT gone for good, just taking a breather while the neighborhood figures out the best way to move forward with a growing crowd.
They end their social media message with a thank you to all the supporters, stating:
To every neighbor, band, host, volunteer, and attendee: thank you for loving Porchfest as much as we do. We can’t wait to see you back on the porches. 🎸🤘🏠
We’ll see ya in 2028, Porchfest! And until then, we’ll keep enjoying all the other amazing local businesses, restaurants, and events in Va-Hi!