Porchfest N.D.G. is kicking off summer with a show by funk-rock band Safe in Sound in Girouard Park on Saturday, May 18th at 11 a.m. The annual porch music festival in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce features local musicians performing on their porches and lawns for itinerant music lovers meandering through the bilingual neighborhood’s streets. The community-wide music festival is taking place on the Victoria Day/National Patriots’ Day holiday weekend of May 18-19 with May 20th reserved as a rain date. Music styles run the gamut from rock to reggae, with a heady mix of jazz, soul, funk, pop, blues, folk, hip-hop, garage, alternative, and classical. Original compositions, cover songs, and jam sessions are all on the menu. So, you can take your pick and then some!
Balconfête, as it is known in French, has been going strong for 5 years. This year Porchfest is raising money to support a music program for children at St. Raymond Community Centre. Comite Jeunesse N.D.G. will be the recipient of funds raised by Porchfest N.D.G. 2019. With the money raised by Porchfest, the St. Raymond Centre will finally be able to offer a much-needed music program for local kids. Given the necessary funding to implement a structured program, children can be helped to reach their potential with access to musical instruments, and instruction in singing and mixing.
About a hundred professional and amateur musicians will be performing live over the course of the long weekend, but pro or enthusiast they will be doing it for a good cause. Last year Porchfest raised over $6,700 for a multicultural choir at the Walkley Centre. The previous year, Porchfest raised over $5,000 for the Westhaven-Elmhurst Community Association with all donations collected going towards improving music education resources available to N.D.G. youth through Westhaven’s inclusive and accessible music program.
Schedules for Saturday and Sunday’s lineups, Porchfest 2019: http://www.porchfestndg.com/
