Webster Groves Unites for Porchfest

Six years ago, long-time Webster Groves resident Dave Buck brought a music festival called Porchfest to his beloved city after seeing his first Porchfest in Dayton, Ohio. Initially created by two housewives in New York, Porchfest is a unique outdoor music festival where musicians perform on neighborhood porches.

This year marked Porchfests’ sixth year in Webster Groves with the festival occurring during the first Sunday in October. By all accounts, last month’s event drew a record crowd.

Over his 25 years in Webster Groves, Buck has organized several music events including Old Webster Jazz and Blues Festival, Webster Sings, Porchfest and many more. Out of all of the events, Porchfest holds a special place in his heart.

“My mom instilled this quote when I was young, I am but one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And what I can do, I ought to do, and what I ought to do, by the grace of God, I will do,” Buck said. “[These are] just my little contributions to Webster Groves.”

As a musician himself, Buck has always felt connected to music and wanted to share that love with the community he adores. So, every year, he and a couple friends host Porchfest. The festival relies on cooperation from not just Buck and his team, but the musicians and the homeowners.

In order to have Porchfest, Buck selects neighborhoods which he deems fit for the music festival. Every year, he knocks on different houses in different neighborhoods and asks homeowners if they are interested in hosting musicians on their front porch.

One of his dream neighborhoods for this venue was Old Orchard because of the area’s architecture and history. Founded in 1853, Old Orchard was one of the five original neighborhoods of Webster Groves.

“Old Orchard, it was an easy pick for me. There have been other neighborhoods in Webster Groves that have contacted me saying, ‘hey, we want to have Porchfest next year,’ but most of the time I have a sense of where I want to go. For example, I have a sense of where I want to go next year,” Buck said.

Porchfest musicians are mostly St. Louis-based. Twenty-five bands performed for this year’s festival including Blue Vinyl Band, Catching the Westbound, Unusual Suspects and Salt of the Earth. At the festival, the audience can expect genres like classic rock, country, jazz and bluegrass; there is music for everyone to enjoy.

Buck prides himself on the fact that his version of the festival is completely free. Audience members do not need to purchase a ticket for entry.

“Dayton, Ohio, had food trucks [and] wine trucks. They had carnival rides for kids. What we decided early on is we are going to be focused on the music. We want to focus on our performers. [So], we don’t sell anything,” he said.

Buck invites attendees to bring their own lawn chairs and snacks to enjoy at the festival. He explains audience members can put out their lawn chairs when they find a performance they like, but because of the nature of Porchfest, people can move around and listen to many different artists.

Participating bands are not compensated for their performances and Buck explained that the artists have never requested to be paid. The artists get exposure by being involved in Porchfest because of how many people attend the festival. People from all over Webster Groves come to the event. Additionally, it lasts four hours and can attract a large audience over that length of time.

Buck was inspired by the commune concept created back in the 60’s, which revolved around sharing and the importance of community. He wanted Porchfest to encompass the commune mission: Porchfest is for everyone.

“It’s all about sharing. It’s not about the money. It’s about the community. We share together as one,” Buck said.

The heart of Porchfest is community. Buck notes that music brings people together and every year he looks forward to the festival because of how unifying it is.

“If there is going to be peace in the cities, there needs to be peace in the neighborhoods. If there’s going to be peace in the neighborhoods, there must be peace in the home. If there is going to be peace in the home, there must be peace in the heart,” Buck said. “Webster Groves is now an official International City of Peace. One of the reasons why we [received that title] was because the arts are a pathway to peace. The arts raise people up. They bring people together.”