Jefferson City has long had entertainers in downtown windows during the Christmas season at Living Windows. Now, we've got entertainers on porches during the late spring and possibly early fall.
The city's first Porchfest drew an estimated 1,000-plus people to enjoy food and live entertainment from more than two dozen musicians and artists. They gathered around 10 porches - and throughout the streets - between the 500 and 700 blocks of Capitol Avenue, part of a recently renovated stretch of the street on the city's near east side.
Nancy Ames and her husband recently moved back to Jefferson City after leaving for about a year. She said it's events like this that make Jefferson City what it is, and she encouraged more people in the community to come to them.
"This event is really a surprising, joyful thing to do, and a way to meet other people," she said, adding she met half a dozen people just at the event. "I love this area. One of the charms of the city is its history."
Food trucks at the event included Rebel Tacos, REO Feedwagon, Love My Gelato and Ready Popped Kettle Corn, and most of them were selling out of their offerings.
Bands included Ben Green, Prairie Moon Band, Robby Bax and the Triple D Singers. Attendees sat on lawns and steps leading up to the porches to watch the entertainers.
Children enjoyed balloon animals from Jason Hollandsworth, known as Juggling Jay, and made their own art with chalk on the street. Adults enjoyed the music as well as the visual artists. One artist there was Brandon Province, who was painting one of his abstract/expressionism pieces on the sidewalk.
"I have a very expressive nature," he said. "I like to paint in a way where people can make their own story. It doesn't really matter what I intended."
Holly Stitt, a coordinator of the event, said Porchfest was started to showcase the neighborhood as well as local musicians and artists.
"For our first time, it went phenomenal," she said.
Avenue HQ and the Jefferson City Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department co-sponsored the free event. A second installment of Porchfest is tentatively planned for September or October.