Creating Your Porchfest Website with porchfest.info

My name is Kirk Israel - I have been running a growing set of porchfests dating back to 2014. This page is to give people interested in running their own porchfests an idea of the websites I can make to support that.

History

Porchfests are events where a neighborhood arrange to have a bunch of bands or other performance folk play on various porches in the neighborhood, often on a summer Saturday afternoon.

The earliest Porchfest is the one run by Ithaca NY in 2007 - in fact they keep a page of known porchfests.

In 2011 Porchfest came to Somervile. In 2014, JP decided to get on the act, and I made a website for them. Somerville's model has been "tell us what porch your band is playing on, and we'll tell you the time your neighborhood is scheduled for, and then put you on our map". To maximize inclusivity, JP decided to play "matchmaker", so that even people without their own appropriate porches could join in the event.

So I created a tool (the "Hourtron") for arranging bands on porches, generated block schedules and interactive maps, and even some print materials. (You can search for "porchfest" on my developer blog to get even more behind the scenes info.)

Later, I started doing the websites for more neighborhoods: Newton, Belmont, Fenway, Natick... (I also consulted with Someville and helped them build a version of their map page that could better withstand the heavy loads of people searching for bands on the big day.)

In early years, I wondered if the market would become too flooded with porchfests - but there seems to be a great appetite for it for both performers and people with porches!

What Sites Get

I provide basic webdesign, hosting, signup forms, admin tools, email sending (for blast notifications or individual confirmations), and then map and scedule generation and hosting.In some cases I can also help generate print/downloadable PDFs.

Newton is a good example of a basic site design.
Melrose Porchfest uses a bit more color.
Fenway is me collaborating with more talented visual designers.

I make it easy for each site to have custom band, porch, and volunteer signup forms, including "check here for terms and conditions" and band photo uploads:

There's a list of core questions I've seen as useful on other sites, but the actual questions are customizable.

Once most bands and porches are signed up, I provide a tool called the Hourtron allowing admins to arrange what band is playing where (it also provides visual hints if a band has requested a specific porch...)

When all the information is set, I make up webpages (including mobile friendly versions of the map page) with the interactive map and bandlist: As well as block schedules: I also have techniques for turning embedding that information into downloadable/printable PDFs, either on my own or in co-operation with proper print designers. (Print schedules are very interesting challenges in putting a lot of information in a small space.)

Also, I now have tools for sending out mass emails: for example to performers telling them what porch they are on, and to porchkeepers telling them what bands they are on, as well as general announcements to people who have signed up.

What I Don't Provide

I can only give general advice on promoting on social and local media, on neighborhood/police contact, on figuring out if you need to contact the city, any insurance needs (many sites find a waiver of liability will suffice.)

Also you may wish to line up sponsors (who may be thanked on a standalone sponsor page or in your front page design.) I don't have particular advice for that, although I would suggest Massachusetts sites look for funding from the Mass Cultural Council.

I also know some porchfest runners who might be willing to either chat or consult and give you the benefit of their experience.

Typical Schedule and Procedure

First year only:

• We make contact, agree on budget. (Ideally the fall/winter before, but later starts are possible)
• We decide if you will get your own domain (like citynameporchfest.org) or if you want to have free subdomain with porchfest.info (like cityname.porchfest.info)
• We set up basic art direction. Usually this consists of color/typeface, a landing page, and general page structure and navigation. (In some cases, if you just have a detailed logo or promotional poster, I can draw art direction from that.)
• At this point we can generally put up a landing page. You should also work to setting up your social media presence and start generating buzz!
• We determine the questions (including any waivers or agreements that need to be virtually signed). Often this will draw from other existing porchfest, but customized to your circumstances.
• We will also determine what parts of the sites should be immediately editable by admins (we will set up editing boxes for specific content areas of the site that can be edited by an admin at any time)

Every year:

• In the Spring we review the questions and decide when signups will go up and come down. Also the exact date of the event is decided. (You may want to avoid the date of neighboring porchfests, or of other big events such as Pride parades.)
• (Generally, scheduling happens once signups are closed so all porches and band information is at hand to make the best choices.)
• In the early Summer (or whatever was agreed to) forms are opened for bands and porches.
• Once the forms are closed, the admins of the site:
  • run the geocoding tools to put addresses on the map
  • number the porches using the provided tool (I can also run that for you)
  • match bands and porches via Hourtron
• Some weeks before the event, maps and schedules are published! (the system can handle late changes and republish, though print materials often have more lead time)
• The event happens with much music and rejoicing!
• After a general thanks and promotion for the nexts year can be posted.

You can also get also see Ithaca New York's Information for New Porchfest Organizers as well as joining the "Porchfest Organizers International" FB group. (Feel free to contact me below to help get added to that.)

The Cost and Nitty-Gritty

REAL TALK TIME :-D

Porchfests are a "side hustle" for me, and not my day job. (I'm also often playing with several activist brass street bands.) (UPDATE - as of this edit in late 2023, I don't have a day job either quite so take some of the below with a grain of salt :-D )

I do it because I love the idea of porchfests, and of being useful to people in general. I charge for it because I don't want to devalue my time, and to help keep myself motivated during the "slog" of it all.

Some porchfests find big sponsors - local businesses, banks, civic groups, etc, willing to offer financial support, happy to get their names and logos associated with such a delight activity, and so budgets can be relatively large. Other sites will be run on more of a shoestring, with individual donations powering things.

I generally don't want the cost of the website to stop an event from occurring, but nor do I want to be an afterthought when the budget is more generous. So I charge on a sliding scale, as low as $400, but sometimes in the $2000-$3000 range. That includes basic webdesign, webhosting, and, at the higher end of the respective ability-to-pay-ranges, print materials.

As you've probably gathered, I'm not much of a business negotiator, so I rely on goodwill and the power of porchfest karma to stop myself from being taken advantage of.

If this sounds interesting to you, let's talk! Contact me at kirkjerk at gmail dot com.