"We moved it from June to a cooler season at the performers' request," says Kaitlyn McQuaid, lead artist behind Porchfest Annapolis. The festival returns on Saturday, October 24, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and this year it plays on front porches and stoops across Murray Hill.
The October date is new, and so is the neighborhood. Porchfest Annapolis was never meant to stay in one place. Its organizers plan to feature a different set of Annapolis neighborhoods over time. The posted map for 2026 puts every stage on four Murray Hill streets. For one Saturday afternoon, this festival belongs to a few blocks around Southgate Avenue, and those blocks may not host it again for a while.
A Festival Designed to Move
Porchfest started in Ithaca, New York, in 2007, and the format has since spread to towns across the country. The Annapolis version began on June 14, 2025, in Germantown-Homewood. Neighbors there lent their porches, stoops and driveways, and local musicians played 40-minute sets while listeners walked from house to house.
The city helped get it started. Minutes from an April 28, 2025 meeting of a city commission record a $3,000 allocation for "Porch Fest/Kaitlyn McQuaid." The Baltimore Banner reported that the grant went toward paying the musicians. The 2026 sponsors include the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County, the City of Annapolis Art in Public Places Commission, and the Annapolis Musicians Fund for Musicians. The Fund is a nonprofit started in 2006 to give financial relief and other support to professional Annapolis musicians. Galway Bay is also listed among the stage sponsors.
Put the sponsors next to the rotation plan and the purpose is clear. The money goes to musicians, and the neighborhood changes each time. Murray Hill provides the porches this year, and the festival's own materials point to a different neighborhood after that.
The Map, Street by Street
The 2026 porch map on the festival's homepage lists ten addresses. Here is how they break down by street:
| Street | Porch stages on the posted map |
|---|---|
| Southgate Avenue | 4 |
| Thompson Street | 3 |
| Stewart | 2 |
| Franklin Street | 1 |
Southgate and Thompson hold seven of the ten stages between them. With sets rotating from porch to porch over four hours, most of the music will be on those two streets. If you live on one of them, expect listeners on the sidewalk in front of your house for much of the afternoon. If you live a few blocks away, you can walk to most of the stages in a couple of minutes.
The festival site links to a Google map version of the porch locations, and printed maps will be handed out on the day. Use the map image on the homepage. The separate "map" page on the site is a leftover template with an address unrelated to Annapolis.
The porch count varies by source. The September 30 Eye On Annapolis preview said eight to ten porches. The Arts Council's event listing says more than ten. The organizers' own map shows ten, and the map is the one to follow if a porch gets added or dropped before the 24th.
Who Is Playing, and What Has Not Been Posted Yet
The lineup graphic on the festival's homepage lists 32 acts. The names include Aaron Hawkins, Ahmed Warshanna Trio, Alaina Tamash, Annapolis Symphony, Asenath Rose, Black Rhinoceros, Brandt Dunn, Brothers and Sisters, Callum, Carolyn Krohn & Bill Mackenchnie, Clari Elaine, Dan Guay & Sara Catherine Duo, Danah Denice, David Sparrow, Doug Segree, DRKVN, Gary Wright & Leah Weiss, Jimi Haha, KVD, Madisun Bailey, Michael McHenry, Neil Harpe, Riverside Ramblers, SISIWITCH, Skribe, Solid Sender Trio, Soren Mattson, SVV Duo, The Befuddlers, The Livebox, Tim Atkinson and Tim Kurtzberg.
Eye On Annapolis says the Annapolis Symphony slot will be filled by members of the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra and the Annapolis Symphony Academy. The paper lists the styles as classical, jazz, Irish, blues, American roots, original songs, acoustic pop and rock.
The schedule is the one thing missing. As of early October, the festival's schedule page reads "No Schedule to display at the moment," so no one can yet say which act plays which porch at what time. Eye On Annapolis reports that the full lineup, schedule, porch map and sponsor list will be posted on the festival website. If you want to catch a particular act, check that page again closer to the 24th.
Sources also disagree on set length. The 2026 preview says 40-minute acoustic sets. Last year's coverage gave anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes. With about 40 minutes per set, you can stay at one porch or follow a full set and then walk a block to catch the next one.
House Rules for a Festival in a Front Yard
The festival FAQ is short and specific, and nearly every answer is about how listeners treat the homes hosting the music.
- Where you stand: Musicians play on the porch. Listeners gather in the front yard or on the sidewalk.
- Volume: Music is acoustic or lightly amplified, so it is fine for children's ears.
- Food: Bring a picnic or snacks, and take your trash with you.
- Dogs: Welcome on a leash, with owners cleaning up after them. The FAQ points out that some people in the crowd may be allergic to dogs or afraid of them.
- Hosts: Guests of all ages are asked to respect the porch host's property and keep an eye on their children.
- Getting there: Organizers encourage walking or biking. For visitors who drive, they list the Knighton Garage and the Park Place Garage as within walking distance.
- Cost: Free.
For anyone who lives in Murray Hill, the getting-there advice points one way. The festival is sending drivers to garages, not to neighborhood curbs, and asking everyone else to come on foot or by bike. If you live within walking distance, the easiest thing is to leave the car where it is.
Porch Managers Wanted
The festival still needs volunteers for the day. Porch managers help performers find their assigned porch, explain how to access the space, and keep sets on schedule.
"We are looking for volunteers to work a two-hour shift so that they can enjoy the festival and visit the other porches before or after their shift," McQuaid told Eye On Annapolis.
A four-hour festival and two-hour shifts means a volunteer can work half the day and spend the other half walking between porches. Signups are through the volunteer link on the Porchfest Annapolis homepage, and organizers can be reached at [email protected].
The Rest of That Weekend
The 24th is a busy Saturday. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the City's Recreation & Parks Department holds its free Fall Harvest Festival at Roger "Pip" Moyer Recreation Center, with live music, hay rides, a pumpkin patch and Trunk-o'-Treat. Registration is through the city. Its hours overlap Porchfest by three hours, so families can start with hay rides in the morning and spend the early afternoon at the porches.
The rain date pulls Porchfest into a different weekend lineup. If weather moves the music to Sunday, October 25, it falls on opening day of the Scarecrow Stroll. Themed scarecrows will line West Street, Maryland Avenue and Main Street from October 25 through November 1. The stroll is hosted by the Inner West Street Association with the Maryland Avenue and State Circle Association and the Downtown Annapolis Partnership.
The boat shows will be over by then. The City's downtown parking and road restrictions for the shows run October 5 through 21, which leaves a few days of normal downtown traffic before the porches fill.
If you want more live music after 3 p.m., 49 West on West Street has new owners. Myriam Osorio McCormick of McCormick Bakery & Chocolate Factory took over from Brian and Sarah Cahalan effective September 1. The reported plan keeps the live-music room, much of the menu and much of the staff, and adds a McCormick counter for chocolates, pastries and desserts.
Porchfest is coming to Murray Hill streets we know house by house. If you're hosting a porch on Southgate or Thompson, or just want to talk about life on these blocks, Brian Jacobs would be glad to hear from you. Get a positive, helpful partner and schedule a consultation.
