Garden District set to host annual Porch Fest Sunday afternoon

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Garden District Neighborhood Association is hosting its annual Porch Fest event Sunday afternoon, featuring food trucks and live music for all neighbors to enjoy.

Fifteen different musical groups, ranging from folk to classic rock, will rotate across eight porches spaced throughout about five blocks of the neighborhood.

It's an idea that came to life in 2014 after neighbor Roberta Brack heard about it from friends who live downtown.

"I thought this is fun and I can do this," Brack said. "So I tromped around and talked to neighbors."

Brack recalled the first time the neighborhood hosted Porch Fest.

"I had people come up to me and say, 'I've lived in this neighborhood for 12 years and I've never had so much fun,'" she said.

Ten years later, the event runs every year with neighbors like Dustin Barnes volunteering their porches.

“It's really great just seeing hundreds of people just on the streets," said Barnes, who also sets up a popcorn maker, cornhole, and horseshoes.

Aztral Folk has been performing at Porch Fest since its first event in 2014.

“You'll hear in our music everything from kind of gypsy jazz to Mexican folk," said band member Laurel Bellante.

Aztral Folk is one of the bands that will play for about an hour and a half at different porches, including a kids porch featuring children's performer Mr. Nature.

"It is just people walking around and dancing in the street with strangers and singing old Beatles songs and having a good time," said Garden District Neighborhood Association Secretary Meg Johnson.

Bellante shared a similar sentiment.

“This is the events that make you feel happy to live in Tucson," Bellante said. "It's the time where the streets fill with people that you may or may not know. You get to talk to your neighbors."

Garden District Neighborhood Association President Lois Pawlak said she saw neighbors from all over town last year.

"I would just walk up and ask people, 'Where are you from?' 'Oh, I'm from West side. I'm from the north side,'" Pawlak recounted.

The free, volunteer-run event will run from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m Sunday.