|
Free community festival returns Oct. 19 with local musicians performing on porches throughout Athens ATHENS, Ga., (September 23, 2025)– Historic Athens Porchfest, the award-winning fall celebration of local music, history, and community, returns for its seventh year on Sunday, October 19, 2025, from 1 PM to 7 PM. Presented by Cafe Racer, this year's event will be the largest edition so far with 262 concerts on porches spread throughout seven walkable historic neighborhoods. All the bands playing Historic Athens Porchfest are either local or have ties to Athens, bringing together the community to learn more about their neighbors and the creative talent that's right in their backyard. Founded in 2019, Historic Athens Porchfest began with around 70 bands across four historic neighborhoods: Boulevard, Newtown, Buena Vista, and Pulaski Heights. Over the years, it has grown exponentially and expanded to Cobbham and Normaltown in 2020 and Reese-Hancock in 2023, rounding out the festival to cover seven historic neighborhoods across Athens, with a record-breaking attendance of over 25,000 in 2024. “We’re so pleased with the increase in participation this year,” said Denise Sunta, Historic Athens Senior Director of Operations and Historic Athens Porchfest Staff Chair. “262 performances is no small feat to coordinate, but we’re grateful that Historic Athens Porchfest has grown to be so loved and looked forward to by hosts, performers, and our community!” This year, Historic Athens is once again partnering with local brewery Athentic Brewing Company to release a collaborative beer at the Historic Athens Porchfest Kick-Off Party on Friday, October 17, 2025. “Lost Places Lager” is meant to highlight the Athens Places in Peril list and solicit public nominations from the community. Founded by Historic Athens in 2019, the Athens Places in Peril initiative works to encourage, develop, and guide ongoing grassroots preservation efforts in the Athens-Clarke County area. The beer label art will feature four structures that were significant parts of the built landscape of Athens, Georgia, but have been demolished. The newest addition to Historic Athens Porchfest is the inclusion of local food. This year, local food trucks can sign up to participate in a a food truck park at Athentic Brewing, offering attendees a space to enjoy local favorites and feature a wide variety of offerings. Food trucks interested in signing up can do so at bit.ly/porchfood25. Last year, Historic Athens Porchfest introduced the Vendors Market in partnership with Indie South, featuring local artisans, makers, and small businesses. The Vendors Market will be even larger this year, moving to Normaltown Brewing Company where attendees can explore handmade goods and support local creatives. Another partnership returning this year is the Trolley Transport with Athens Trolley Tours, where visitors to Historic Athens Porchfest can “hop on, hop off” with free trolley rides, providing easy access to various performance venues across multiple neighborhoods. Master's students from University of Georgia Historic Preservation program will be aboard the trolleys, giving passengers a historical architecture tour of the neighborhoods they pass through. In addition to their individual porch signs, a select number of participating homes will receive an in-depth house history, completed by students in Dr. Katie Marage’s Vernacular Architecture class at UGA. Each house history will tell the story of the particular house, as well as spotlight the homeowners’ impact on the physical structure. These histories will be published as articles on Grady NewsSource and be featured on their house’s porch sign. Cafe Racer also returns as the Presenting Sponsor of Historic Athens Porchfest. The event would also not be possible without their support, as well as the generous contributions of neighborhood sponsors Athens Cooks, Athentic Brewing Company, Arcollab, Cali ‘n Tito’s, Massey Law, Koons Environmental Design Inc., and Alan Cleveland, Athens Personal Injury Lawyer. “We want to thank everyone participating in this year’s event”, said Shelby Day, Historic Athens President-Elect and Historic Athens Porchfest Board Chair. “Whether you’re a performer, host, sponsor, or attendee, we’re so excited to celebrate Athens, Georgia’s unique history and charm with the community on Sunday, October 19th.” For more information, including the lineup, performance schedules, Vendors Market at Normaltown Brewing, Food Truck Park at Athentic Brewing, and the Kick-Off Party, visit www.historicathensporchfest.com or follow Historic Athens on social media at @historicathens. About Historic Athens Porchfest: Presented by Cafe Racer, Historic Athens Porchfest transforms Athens, Georgia’s most beautiful neighborhoods into a sprawling music venue, where front porches become intimate concert stages and historic streets buzz with live music. Over 200 local artists perform across 7 historic neighborhoods, creating a unique festival experience that celebrates both Athens, Georgia’s local music community and historic preservation. About Historic Athens: Historic Athens is a 501(c)(3) non-profit with a mission to be a proactive force in developing community-wide understanding of the value of historic buildings, neighborhoods, and community heritage. Media Contact:
Denise Sunta
Historic Athens Sr. Director of Operations, Historic Athens Porchfest Staff Chair
Email: denise@historicathens.com
Phone: 706-389-0662
|
