Jonathan and Kristen Corley have spent the past year organizing the inaugural Norcross Porchfest, a free, community-driven music festival throughout the historic downtown district on May 2.
The Corleys told attendees at 45 Cafe South that the performance lineup is set and all major sponsorships are secured.
At Norcross Porchfest, bands will perform on front yards and at homes across the historic downtown from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., rain or shine.
Kristen Corley, the content creator behind the Young Norcross, said taking over the newsletter from Callie Murray in 2022 helped her form the connections needed to make the inaugural porchfest happen. Despite the newsletter’s name, it’s read by residents of all ages.
“It wasn’t a matter of creating a community, it was kind of putting a spotlight on it so that people can find it,” Corley said. “It’s hard to know how to even get involved in the community that you’re in.”
Creator of Norcross Porchfest
Porchfests are annual music festivals that place bands and performers on front porches across a neighborhood. The free, community-driven events have spread across metro Atlanta communities, including Brookhaven, Oakhurst, and Virginia-Highland.
Corley said her team is still looking for resident sponsors and festival volunteers. On April 11, “porch hosts” will meet at 1 p.m. and volunteers at 2:30 p.m.
“I feel really good about where we’re at with the money that we’ve raised,” Corley said. “We really could use some more resident sponsors to help fill in the gaps in the last-minute needs that we have.”
Local sponsors on the inaugural Norcross Porchfest include Southwest Gwinnett Magazine, the Norcross Downtown Development Authority, BIA Charter School, and several other downtown businesses.
Norcross Porchfest isn’t only about music. The six-hour festival will have food trucks, drink vendors, public restrooms, and a home base at the historic library on North Peachtree Street.
Corley said about 35 performers are scheduled to play 45-minute sets across 12 or 13 front porches during the six-hour festival. A jury of Norcross residents selected the inaugural performers from nearly 50 applications.
“One of my biggest priorities going into this was making sure that we have variety,” Corley said. “I don’t want it to all just be the same music, so we have singer-songwriter, acoustic, rock, alternative, jazz, and a cappella.”
Downtown musical festival
For the inaugural Norcross Porchfest, organizers worked with the city to secure needed permits and close some public streets to traffic.
“I’m really grateful to the city for the guidance that they have been able to give us along the way,” Corley said. “While they’re not formally a sponsor or promoting this as a ‘city event,’ they’ve been very kind to us.”
With about five weeks until Norcross Porchfest, preparations will ramp up in April.
“We’re going to have T-shirts up on the website for pre-order next week,” Corley said. “We’re also going to be adding a porch decorating contest … the important part is that it’s within walking distance of the festival.”
Corley reminded the crowd that musicians are performing for free, encouraging residents to support them on social media and leave a tip.
Norcross resident Ella Beth, who is performing with her band the Soulsters at 12:15 p.m. at 98 Buchanan Street, said she’s thrilled to share her music with her neighbors.
“I’m not from around here, but I love living here,” Beth said. “I’m really hoping to build more of a local fan base, like a community.”