If you thought you missed the ever popular PorchFest this year due to the pandemic, here’s some good news. PorchFest is back, virtually this year, with new pre-recorded, live performances that will make it seem as if you’re strolling by various porches in Sandwich Village from the comfort of your home. Eight different Sandwich Arts Alliance acoustic artists will perform with four half-hour sets each night, using prerecorded Zoom and livestreaming technology through Facebook.

The performers are Bill Black, Tony DiSavino, Leslie Gage, Dawna Hammers, Kathleen Healy, Liam Kelly, and Nils Soderberg. Kim Moberg will be livestreaming during the event.

Event managers Moberg and Magyar wanted to preserve as much of that traditional feel as possible without the weather forecasts. The performers will be appearing on what could very easily be a New England porch crafted by talented members of SAA’s Visual Arts group. Kim Moberg added, “While the artists are recently prerecorded to minimize technical glitches that can sometimes happen with a virtual platform, they are truly live, interactive, and playing new music as well as familiar favorites -- we are not pulling from any prior year archives.”

The event is free as it has been in the past, however, donations will be greatly appreciated. It is believed that the first “porchfest” occurred in 2007 in Ithaca, NY. From there the idea spread to communities all over the US and into Canada. Wellfleet typically holds its PorchFest during the summer but postponed it this year until August 2021.

To gain access to the eight porches, audience members will enter through the SAA website at www.sandwichartsalliance.org or at the SCTV site www.sandwichcommunitytv.org for information and a ‘map’ to the virtual Village of performers.

“As the leaves fall off the trees and we prepare for the holidays, how wonderful that we can enjoy some live music in the warmth of our homes just as if we heard these performers while strolling through Sandwich Village”, mused Todd Herrmann, co-coordinator for the performing arts and a board member of the Alliance.

This event was made possible in part by the generosity of Cape Cod 5.