Residents in the Skinker DeBaliviere neighborhood of St. Louis are set to welcome local musicians and bands Sunday afternoon for a unique music festival.
Inspired by a similar event in Ithaca, New York, PorchFest STL aims to bring the community together and encourage neighbors to connect with one another.
“In Skinker DeBaliviere, there’s a pretty broad range of diversity from a generational, racial and socioeconomic perspective,” said event organizer Dylan Bassett. “This is an opportunity to build community across a diversity of groups of St. Louisians who wouldn’t necessarily have a connection otherwise or know each other.”
The event, which began in 2017, grew out of a partnership between Washington University students and the Skinker DeBaliviere Community Council.
“Wash U is sort of in its own bubble socially,” Bassett said. “It was a big motivating factor to try to break out of that bubble and make a real investment in the place we’re living and get to know the people that live there.”
The free music festival runs from 1 to 5 p.m. and will feature 26 bands across a variety of genres, including rock, soul, electronica and folk.
Residents throughout the neighborhood have volunteered to host the bands. Each band will play a 30-minute set on one of 13 porches.
Attendees are encouraged to meet at the focal point stage at 6008 Kingsbury Ave.
A full schedule of this year’s line-up is available here.
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