Take Your Beer For A Walk: PorchFest 2026
The perfectly paired event for a walkable beer
SATURDAY, SEPT. 26
Friends, I welcome you to September. Summer officially ends this month, even though it may feel like it's left us already with the return of school buses on our streets and that increasingly early sunset. But fear not – there are plenty of great things to get into this month, including one of my all-time favorite city events, PorchFest.
Born out of that silly global pandemic six years ago, PorchFest had us all getting up off our couches and walking or biking all over the West Bayfront neighborhood to watch actual honest-to-goodness live music happen for the first time since lockdowns began months prior. The best part? The musicians were hosted on volunteer porches, hence the clever name, so you could watch and listen from a safe distance. Fast-forward six quick years and the event is still going strong this time with over 30 bands deployed throughout the neighborhood's 843-acre footprint.
Two of the people responsible for pulling off this joyous occasion are Dave Tamulonis (40 Under 40 Class of 2022 and Erie Reader contributor) and Chuck Nelson. When asked about PorchFest origins Tamulonis says, "Chuck and I revived, updated, and expanded the Porchfest event that had been run by other West Bayfront neighbors after a long hiatus during COVID, socially-distanced and spread out in yards watching artists on porches. The model popped up in several other cities before we tried it here in the West Bayfront neighborhoods, notably Tremont in Cleveland and in a couple Philadelphia neighborhoods. For me, it's the ultimate way to experience Erie: it encourages walking, biking, or communal transit and forces you to explore neighborhoods, talk to people, eat local food, drink local beer, and watch all local artists perform."
Honestly, if there is a more perfect event to pair with an open container walk, I can't find it. This gig seems custom-built for the lifestyle of this column, so I'm going to take you through a preview paired up with some beer-walking activity. Exact performance times were still being worked out at press time (see updated schedule below) so you'll have to check the Our West Bayfront socials or do some light Googling for performance precision. Ready? Let's roll.
We will begin this month's tour by popping a favorite beverage outside Herb and Honey at 516 Cherry St. where singer/songwriter Jesse Taylor Smith will be strumming his acoustic guitar. He's a frequent flyer in the region, playing venues like Five and 20 Spirits and Brewing, The Skunk and Goat Tavern, and Seneca Allegany Casino. Herb and Honey will be cranking out the high-quality carbohydrates this day, too, so grab a snack to pair with your beer… to pair with the tunes. Cheers to you Jesse Taylor Smith!
Next let's head south along Cherry Street a couple blocks, turning right onto West Seventh Street, landing at 613 W. Seventh where you can watch the Erie supergroup (featured elsewhere in this issue), This American Song. Now we all love a local band with a brass section, so plop down your folding chair in the street (the side of the street anyway for safety!) and check out a memorable performance, beer in-hand. Cheers to you, This American Song!
We'll now turn around to head east to 437 Seventh St., where the unique sounds of the Flagship Steel Band will pull you right into another quality porch performance. You'll notice a bunch of Hawaiian-style shirted musicians resonate some seriously Caribbean tunes straight toward you. Seriously, when was the last time you saw a steel band play in your neighborhood? Cheers to you, Flagship Steel Band!
By now you're probably low on liquid in your container, so pop another if needed; we have two more stops to make. Let's head back north to West Sixth Street where we'll cross the street, turn left and head west, meandering our way to 716 N. Park Ave., where Slim and Red, a self-described two piece Indie Nerd Rock band from Corry will be performing. Cheers to you, Slim and Red!
After your Slim and Red experience, wander over to the middle of Gridley Park where Liberty Street bisects it. There you'll find "The Hub," where fixtures include the Our West Bayfront info and merch tent, beers from Erie Ale Works, and treats from The Water Ice Family. Perhaps more importantly, there are portable restrooms set up so you can make adequately-timed pit stops on your neighborhood traversal. And if you prefer a lift to some of the performances, the EMTA trolley runs a PorchFest route centered at this spot. Cheers to you, hub vendors!
This is of course only a small snippet of what's available at PorchFest 2026, it's truly a choose-your-own adventure day so get on out and explore the O.W.B. neighborhood on your own terms. It's certainly a day befitting someone that loves to take their beer for a walk!
Noon to 6 p.m. // West Bayfront Neighborhoods // Free // Visit ourwestbayfront.org for more info
Jeff McCullor is the co-owner of Erie Ale Works. He can be reached at jeff@eriealeworks.com
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