PorchFest in One Boulder Neighborhood Each Summer

Colorado is known for having some great concert venues; each summer, Boulder turns porches into concert venues for one afternoon. Coloradans that love music, summer, and beautiful porches may want to add this to their annual events calendar.

How Long Has "PorchFest" Been Happening in Boulder, Colorado?

The event happens every summer on a Sunday in late September; sometimes that Sunday correlates with the last weekend of summer, sometimes it does not. Either way, it's a warm Sunday afternoon with a very "Boulder" kind of feel: Music, arts, community. Also, being Boulder, there's probably more than a few folks enjoying marijuana throughout the afternoon.

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The Mapleton Hill neighborhood in Boulder dates back to the city's mining days with streets lined with many sliver maple and cottonwood trees. Some of the homes date back to the late 1800s.

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It wasn't until 2025 that I found out about the 'Mapleton Hill PorchFest" in Boulder, and became very intrigued by the whole idea of all these bands playing on peoples' porches on a Sunday afternoon. Plus, it's free to attend, no ticket required. Again, it has "Boulder" written all over it. Say what you will about 'The People's Republic of Boulder," but they do like to have fun.

The day consists of three hour-long sets where at least a dozen bands perform on different porches at the same time. Attendees walk about and enjoy each of the bands playing in the Mapleton Hill Neighborhood. About 30 homes let the bands play on their porches for a least one of the three sets.

It's Boulder, so there are a lot of Americana/Bluegrass bands, but there are usually more than a few bands that fall outside those genres. While you will find food trucks at PorchFest, it is an alcohol-free event.

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Gallery Credit: Emily Mashak