Photos by Thom Hall, Melissa Lawlor & Diane DiMemmo

If you found yourself lamenting the dreary weather this past weekend, then you should’ve been at the 8th annual Asbury Park Porchfest – the largest porchfest event in the Northeast! The cool fall rain did absolutely nothing to damper the spirit and community of the residents and musicians in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Never say never to Porchfest founder Jordan Modell and event organizer Dave Vargo who pulled off the incredible musical extravaganza just as they always do! 

Porchfest began at the Transparent Clinch Gallery which was packed to capacity. The country duo sensation Williams Honor, along with singer/songwriter Joe Grushecky and guitarist Bobby Mahoney kicked off the event with a jaw-dropping performance that we did not want to end. No worries there however, since the amazing rockers - Surf Haven - continued to wow the audience with their set as well! 

Following the kickoff, myself and fellow photographers Thom Hall and Melissa Lawlor hit the streets to experience beautiful music ... yet we weren’t quite sure how things would go due to the weather. What we found exceeded our expectations. Every single artist and band performed their hearts out as if it were a bright, sunny day.  And every outdoor porch had listeners with umbrellas and tents enjoying the music just like every other year. It was heartwarming to see their enjoyment and support of our local artists. I always say this but I really do mean it ... the positive community vibes and love of music are what elevate this City beach town above all others. 

This year’s event directly benefits Mercy Center - a food bank with dignity serving over 3,500 local families a month and Trinity Church’s Code Blue Program. The primary aim of the Code Blue program is to save lives by preventing people from freezing to death. Last year, Code Blue Winter Warming Center served 345 people (21% of whom were women) over 65 nights when temperatures dropped below freezing. These are two worthwhile missions that still need and appreciate additional donations which can be made by clicking their links in this paragraph. 

The other portion of fundraising comes from Porchfest T-shirt sales which were lower this year. If you were unable to attend this year’s Porchfest, then consider purchasing a shirt to show your support. They are now on sale for $20 and will directly support Porchfest, Trinity Church and Mercy Center! 

There were hundreds of wonderful musicians who shared their music with us all on Saturday. Unfortunately too many to name, but they are all listed on the Porchfest website. Please enjoy the photos we took of some of them and we hope that our community continues to support the original music of our local artists! We cannot wait for Asbury Park Porchfest 2025 … no matter the weather!!

Photos by Melissa Lawlor, Thom Hall and Diane DiMemmo