Akron has many of its own “unofficial” holidays, from 330 Day on March 30 (330 is also the city's area code) to Founders' Day every June. But one annual event is so widely and affectionately referred to as “Akron’s favorite holiday” that it must be true. I’m speaking, of course, about the PorchROKR Music & Arts Festival in Highland Square.
Every August, the streets of Akron’s West Side neighborhood come alive, not just with music, but with a palpable sense of community and camaraderie. PorchROKR, for me, has always been more than just a festival; it’s a peaceful day where people celebrate the city’s art, music and culture, connect with one another and simply enjoy walking around the streets of Akron feeling safe and ready for a good time.
In an era when social media chatter can distort the reality of an area and paint it with broad, negative strokes, events like PorchROKR serve as a counter-narrative. When the people of Akron have a chance to come together to celebrate one another, something truly special happens.
As you walk through the streets hopping from porch to porch, you’ll see neighbors offering up bottles of water to passersby or inviting strangers to sit in their shaded front yards to escape the August heat. It’s a festival that focuses on music and arts, but its impact goes beyond that — it’s about building, healing and supporting the community.
A lot goes into planning this type of event, from the efforts of the Highland Square Neighborhood Association and planning committee to the hundreds of volunteers and performers who pull this off every year.
Aside from seeing folks crowding the area, suppoting local businesses and enjoying the day, listening to every artist on the lineup and planning my festival route is a real highlight.
Each hour features artists performing outside of houses or businesses along the festival’s footprint, and sprinting from one stage to another is part of the experience.
As part of "Shuffle," the Ideastream Public Media music podcast, I have the joy and honor of combing through more than 100 local PorchROKR performers with "All Things Considered" and "Shuffle" host Amanda Rabinowitz.
Often, we see a selection of past musicians we’ve interviewed. We also get introduced to acts we've never heard of before, and it’s thrilling to dig into their back catalog, see them perform live and then sometimes bring them onto the podcast and on the air on WKSU, or on "Applause" on WVIZ-PBS.
Amanda and I have a tradition of putting together a Spotify playlist and recording a "Shuffle" episode every year with our band selections. I especially love running into Amanda at the festival and chatting about the artists we’ve seen that day.
In 2022, we were in the massive crowd that gathered in the humble front yard of a Highland Square home to see Detention, now called Off-Leash, before they headlined the main stage. I had the opportunity to introduce rap artist Jinari Kimet on that same main stage last year, and it’s been exciting to see his star rise.
This year’s headliner is one of my all-time favorite Akron bands, Free Black!, whom we interviewed for Shuffle in 2021. I’ve seen Floco Torres and HR3 perform all over the city and can’t wait for them to bring their talent and energy to Highland Square on Saturday.
Another past headliner I’m a big fan of is Red Rose Panic, interviewed for "Shuffle" back in 2018 when they were gearing up for their main-stage performance. They’ll be playing the event again this year, along with a slew of other past artists we’ve talked to for "Shuffle," including DreamStates, Soleo, The Baker’s Basement and Dave Rich and His Enablers.
Some new-to-me artists I’m looking forward to seeing at the festival are Aka & Co, Lovely Weather and judelyn. There’s always something new, something exciting and something that reminds me of why I love Akron so much at this event.
This year is particularly special for me because my mom will be attending her first PorchROKR. She’s the one who instilled in me a love of music and the importance of supporting the local community, so sharing this experience with her feels like a full-circle moment.
PorchROKR is this Saturday, with music kicking off at 11 a.m. It’s a full-day event that brings people together from all walks of life, not just from Akron, but from outside the city as well. It’s a showcase of the breadth of artistic and creative talent we have here.
Every year, even while I’m roasting in 90-degree heat or wading through rain puddles to see the next band, this community event reaffirms why I’m proud to call this city home.
