Yellow Springs Porchfest is a free, neighbor-driven day celebrating music and community. It's an annual event, from noon to 7pm on the third Saturday in September. (Save the date! This year’s Porchfest falls on September 19, 2026)

During this time, local musicians will play on the porches, yards, and patios of homes and businesses within about a half mile radius of downtown Yellow Springs. A map with porches and performers will be available, and neighbors are encouraged to walk or bike around the village.

Everyone! Porchfest is a family-friendly event featuring musicians from a wide variety of genres.

Yellow Springs Porchfest is an annual event that takes place 12p-7p on the third Saturday in September.

Each performing act receives a base share of the sponsorship money and donations we raise each year minus the expenses for event costs.

We also strongly encourage you to tip the musicians! Each venue will have a tip jar set up and any tips received during each performance will go directly to those musicians.

Please note: event costs do not include YS Porchfest staff as we are 100% volunteer-based.

You will also be able to tip the musicians electronically if you have venmo, paypal, etc. and the musician(s) have posted a QR code for their pay app(s) at the host venue when they perform.

Yes, there will be accessible restrooms available around the village. You can view the map for locations. Please note that porch hosts will not provide restrooms.

No. Yellow Springs is a community event, and we encourage folks to patronize the local businesses who have helped make Yellow Springs possible.

There is no official event parking given the nature of this community event. Since the event is based within roughly ½ mile from downtown, we recommend walking or biking between porches. Please follow local parking & transportation rules.

Nope! This is a free event open to the public.

YS Porchfest is a rain or shine event. The show must go on. Consider bringing anything that may protect you from the elements (appropriate attire, sunscreen, bottled water, etc.).

In keeping with local laws, no alcohol is permitted at Porchfest locations. Adult beverages are available for consumption on the premises at many local establishments in Yellow Springs, including the Yellow Springs Brewery, Tuck-n-Red’s, Trail Town, Peach’s, Ye Olde Trail Tavern Porchfest venues.

No outside food or drink may be brought in to local Yellow Springs businesses. Outside food and non-alcoholic drinks are permitted at non-business Porchfest locations.

No, we will be sharing the public space and making the effort to accommodate one another. For those enjoying the event please be vigilant. For drivers, this means being extra cautious, slowing down and expecting pedestrians and bikers on sidewalks and streets.

Rules for pets are the same as they would be at any other time in the village. That said, please be aware that homeowners and business owners may have different preferences when it comes to dogs.

We are going to do our best to coordinate the flow of music, and are asking musicians and hosts to be vigilant about volume. Musicians are responsible for gauging the space between porches and adjusting their volumes for that.

Will all musicians be local?

Our focus is on local musicians, and we are asking that musicians are from or involved in the Yellow Springs community.

Any money that we receive first goes to pay our minimal operating expenses (advertising, printing costs, website hosting, etc., and the other money goes directly to the bands and musicians playing YS Porchfest.

The Yellow Springs Arts Council presents Yellow Springs Porchfest. We also partner with the YS Chamber of Commerce and the YS Village. All groups have been super supportive and encouraging.

We hope our community feels empowered to get involved however they see fit, and we'd love for this event to be as self-sustaining as possible. That can mean a lot of things, so here are just a few ideas: host local musicians on your porch or front yard, spread the word and encourage your neighbors to come out and enjoy the day with you, put out a couple lawn chairs if you have 'em, or reach out to the local musicians and see if they could use any help. Have something special in mind? Let us know by emailing us at ysporchfest@gmail.com.

Anything additional you'd like to provide at your home is great but nothing is required. We're encouraging people attending to bring their own beverages and chairs. Each performer is responsible for providing and setting up their own equipment, but any help is appreciated.

Sign-ups are annual and usually take place mid-Spring to early Summer. You can sign up on our website during the application period. You must have a google account to sign up. Only one google account can be tied to each application.

Usually YS Porchfest is inundated with musician applications and often could use more porches. So please email ysporchfest@gmail.com to inquire about our current needs. We probably could use you! If we are full, please consider applying next year in spring/early summer, and follow us on social media to stay in the loop.

Please indicate this information on your application and we will do our best to schedule around your availability. There are a lot of variables to consider so we’re asking hosts and musicians to be as flexible as possible.

No, we do that work for you.

The success of YS Porchfest depends on hosts & musicians being flexible. YS Porchfest is inundated with musician applications which means most porches will need to have 2-3 acts on each porch in order for the event to be successful.

Yes, but keep in mind that a request is simply a request. We do our best to try to honor as many requests as possible, but with so many variables to consider (some artists play in multiple bands, size of porch vs size of musical act, host availability, other porch locations, other host requests .etc.), it is not possible to honor every request. Please try to be as flexible as possible to ensure the success of Porchfest.

We try to keep the event super walkable which is why we try to keep it within a ½ mile from downtown. Should you live right on the cusp, consider applying. Please note: We do not accept any applications on Fairfield Pike/Yellow Springs Fairfield Rd or north of that street.

Yes, if you have an area for bands to play, please consider signing up.

If there is a problem or question with your application, we will reach out to you (usually in late July or early August). If there are no issues, you should receive an application accepted email by early August.

Towards the end of August, you will begin to receive more communication. You will receive the names and times bands are scheduled to play at your location as well as their contact information. We invite you to work directly with musicians to answer any questions and ensure smooth performances. Please keep in mind musicians are expected to play 60-minute sets (do not play over) and be vigilant about volumes in order for the event to flow successfully and not drown out neighboring acts.

If there is an event sponsor tied to your porch, you will also receive an email that introduces you should the sponsor want to add anything additional to your porch (i.e. additional promo items).

You will also receive an email that explains when yard signs & tip jars will be dropped off/picked up as well as best practices for introducing acts and encouraging folks to tip musicians.

Tipping musicians is encouraged! Each venue will have a tip jar set up and any tips received during each performance will go directly to those musicians. No cash? No problem! You can also tip artists online. Sponsorship money and other donations (day-of and beforehand) will also go towards paying musicians after the event costs are covered. Please make sure each musical act takes their tips after their performance. Please note: event costs do not include YS Porchfest staff as we are 100% volunteer-based.

YS Porchfest is a rain or shine event. The show must go on.

Applications that have been received on-time will be reviewed to make sure the artist has significant ties to Yellow Springs to help us achieve our mission “Foster our spirit of community, celebrate local musicians, and connect with our unique artists and neighbors.” We are asking all artists be from or involved in the community in some way.

In addition, all artists who apply must be able to play a 60-minute family- friendly-set, and music should be welcoming and inclusionary. Please note: religious-specific music is not considered inclusionary.

Sign-ups are typically mid-spring to early summer. You can sign up on our website during the application period. You must have a google account to sign up. Only one google account can be tied to each application.

Because of the nature of this event, we have strict application timelines in order to create a successful event. If you missed the signup deadline, please consider signing up next year. Please follow us on social media to stay in the loop.

No. We ask that all musicians be available 12-pm the entire day. There are a lot of variables to consider so we need musical acts to be as flexible as possible.

No, we do that work for you.

Yes, but keep in mind that a request is simply a request. We do our best to try to honor as many requests as possible, but with so many variables to consider (some artists play in multiple bands, size of porch vs size of musical act, host availability, other porch locations, other host requests .etc.), it is not possible to honor every request. Please try to be as flexible as possible to ensure the success of Porchfest.

Please indicate on your application that you play in more than one band and tell us which bands. This will help us with scheduling. If you forget to do so, please reach out to ysporchfest@gmail.com by mid-July with scheduling information.

No, there is no equipment provided.

Base Share to Musicians

All Sponsorship money and other donations raised before the event go towards paying musicians after the event costs for the Yellow Springs Arts Council are covered. We will provide your base share of sponsorship and donations money through a check you will receive when you perform. Please note: event costs do not include YS Porchfest staff as we are 100% volunteer-based.

Tips at Host Venue

Each venue will have a tip jar set up and any tips received during each performance will go directly to those musicians.

Musicians can post QR codes at Host venues for electronic tips

If you have pay app accounts (such as Venmo), we encourage you to post QR codes at your host’s porch for audience members.

If you do not have any pay app accounts, and would like help creating one, please let us know when you fill out the musician application.

If there is a problem or question with your application, we will reach out to you (by mid-July). If there are no issues, you should receive an application accepted email by mid-July.

Towards the end of August, you will begin to receive more communication. You will receive the location and time you are scheduled to play as well as the host’s contact information. We invite you to work directly with your host to answer any questions and ensure smooth performances. Please keep in mind you are expected to play 60-minute sets (do not play over) and be vigilant about volumes in order for the event to flow successfully and not drown out neighboring acts.

We will ask you to confirm your location and time and request that last-minute changes do not happen unless they are absolutely necessary.

We have a waitlist for acts who were not initially selected but are interested in performing if an artist cancels. Please make sure you select this option when you initially sign-up. Each year, artists join the line up through the wait list.

Sign up on our website and fill out this form. Sign-ups are typically mid-spring to early summer. You must have a google account to sign up. Only one google account can be tied to each application.

Sponsorships are accepted at any time. In order to get your logo on all print media, we ask that you complete your sponsorship and submit your artwork by August 1st.

• Music Lover ($100) - Logo/name on maps & website 

• Porchfest Porch ($250) - same as above plus logo signage at one venue

• Sponsor Partner ($500) - same as Porch plus logo visibility & recognition in marketing outlets

We will reach out to you if there are any questions or concerns about your application. Soon after we receive your sponsorship, we will send you a letter verifying your tax deductible contribution.

If you are a Porch Sponsor or Sponsor Partner, you will receive an email from us towards the end of August with your sponsored porch location and host’s contact information should you decide you would like to add additional venue signage or promotional materials.  

Donation letters are emailed by the Yellow Springs Arts Council, the event’s presenter and fiscal sponsor. You will receive a letter verifying your tax deductible contribution soon after we have received your donation.