By Sean Sullivan

September seems a segue between summer and autumn. Students are returning to classes, and the sun to its resting place noticeably earlier in the day. Neighbors ask where the season went, what’s in store for autumn. 

The mercury might soar to mid-summer standards or dip to May models on a given day. But in its mellow moods, September is mild. During such days, the month is tailor-made for the New England porch.     

Many a sunrise and sunset has been savored in the shelter and serenity of this sacred space, many a conversation and much quality time shared with family and friends.

For a great primer on that paradox of place (the porch), its origins and charms, give “Inside Out,” a read. It’s a recent “New Yorker” essay by David Owen that airs out all you might want to know, and more, about these screened sanctuaries.  

Porches are a place between privacy and publicity, indoors and out. It’s the perfect stage from which to watch precipi tation play out, a rain or snowstorm, sheltered from the falling elements.

It’s also a space that seems to have fallen somewhat out of favor in a culture often frantic to beat rush hour roadways, race from one youth sporting event to another, juggle multiple jobs or gigs.   

But porches were reclaimed for a time during the pandemic pause, liminal spaces that became landing places — where neighbors, friends and family could gather during those uncertain days and months.

And if it happens to be one’s preoccupation, the porch is a prime perch from which to survey a property line, scolding neighborhood kids and dogs to scram off one’s lawn.

In stark contrast to the spirit of that latter function, Natick’s Porchfest repurposes this unique space into a stage, onto which residents welcome perfect strangers. There, the guests will play guitar (or other instruments) for audiences gathered on the green of lawns.

Porchfest is a grassroots, hyperlocal music festival, one that puts community center stage. Performers are paired with residents eager to lend their porches for a few hours, providing a venue for local artists to play before the public.

Natick’s edition of the concerts have become locally famous, attracting varied and numerous acts and large audiences. The event will return Saturday, September 21st, and run from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. A map of the town’s porches and performers will be available on natickporchfest.org.

A unique feature of the events is that performances are pro bono, as are the procurement of porches. The event is jealously guarded as a music-making (not money-making) enterprise.

Porchfest isn’t a Natick original. It’s a sharing of space and sound that’s been a highlight for years in other towns and cities.

The history of Porchfest dates back more than a decade, when the inaugural performances were held in Ithaca, New York in 2007. That first festival featured about twenty acts, but has evolved into an annual extravaganza sometimes featuring over a hundred performers.

In recent years, many Massachusetts municipalities have hosted their own versions of Porchfest, some adopting the event into an annual ritual of community culture.

Porchfest has also spread since its inception to all corners of the country and beyond, even crossing the border into Canadian provinces.

And while its performers are unpaid and attendance costs nothing, putting on Porchfest isn’t free. The events must be advertised and coordinated, and that involves the work of local professionals.

Enter sponsorships.

Local businesses like Music-Go-Round have adopted Natick’s Porchfest for the past few years, donating money and gear to help make the show a reality. The Natick Center Cultural District has also been center stage in planning and publicizing the event.

See you on (or from) the porch!