PLEASE READ BEFORE SIGNING UP TO HOST:
1. You don't have to literally have a porch to host! It could be your driveway, your lawn or yard. Wherever you plan to showcase our wonderful performers, it must be accessible to the viewing public! No hosting private parties in the backyard while huddled masses yearning to hear music strain their ears at the sidewalk!
2. You must agree to host not less than 2 hours of music. If, for example, you are besties with a band who can fill an hour-long time slot at your porch, the Porchfest team will assign more performers to your porch! The Porchfest is a 4-hour event, so our goal is to fill every porch with 4 hours of performances whenever possible.
3. The more performers that come with your porch, the more likely you will be selected to host, but you do not need to have performers to be selected!! While it is helpful to have you sign up as a host as soon as possible, it is not first-come, first selected. We take a few things into consideration when selecting hosts, including porch location. We will reach out to let you know that we received your Host Form. We are a merry, scrappy band of volunteers who do this for love of community. We are selecting hosts and performers up to the last minute sometimes, so please be patient with us. We will let you know if you have been selected as soon as we can.
4. If you have performers for your porch, have them fill out a Performer Form that includes your name and address as their host. You may not otherwise pick and choose who will play your porch. If you have a specific concern, please send us an email.
5. If you want to host, be aware that all kinds of lovely people from all over will be showing up at your doorstep!! If this does not sound like a wonderful thing to you, you may not want to be a host. It if sounds absolutely delightful, we strongly advise that you reach out to your neighbors and let them know your plans, as people may spill onto their property as they gather to witness the amazing performances taking place at your home!!!
6. You can even close off your street and have a block party during Porchfest, but you must reach out to the City separately for this purpose at: https://www.cityofmelrose.org/public-works/pages/block-party. We cannot help you with this, because there is only so much we Porchfest elves can do. We cannot help you with food trucks and pony rides either. This you must do for yourselves.