WEST CHESTER—The borough’s popular community music festival Porchfest returns on May 18. Seventy-four bands have signed up to perform so far.
“Green” porches will offer native plants and tips on creating your own native wildflower gardens, at the annual event sponsored by the West Chester Green Team.
Chris Pugliese, landscape architect and West Chester Green Team vice president, will host an information porch on Barnard Street with a green wagon of plants to share.
“The goal with the plant wagons is to educate our neighbors in West Chester area communities about the value of native gardens and landscapes and to share resources that will inspire and facilitate pesticide-free/herbicide-free native gardening/landscaping in yards,” he said in a prepared statement. “We’re all in this together to create a welcoming environment and more ecologically friendly places in the world.”
Jean Gross, a local real estate agent, returns as a block organizer on Dean Street and will feature a porch of vintage clothing. The Green Team’s vintage clothing swaps were begun by Aiden McFadden, East Bradford’s soccer hero, who continues his work recycling clothing in Atlanta this spring.
Porchfest drew 6,000 visitors last May and many attendees were children. From face painting to Native American Lenape crafts to Taylor’s Music’s “zoo” of musical instruments, children could choose from a variety of activities in addition to listening to music.
Because of the high demand for children’s activities last year, Porchfest is doubling its children’s offerings from five to 10 options. A returning activity is the Lenape craft of journey stick-making. Last year 35 children created this craft with artist and West Chester Playschool co-founder Catherine Bosna.
Bosna returns to offer her workshop again this year on Union Street.
“The process of making journey sticks helps children recall their own journeys and become active learners and caretakers of the natural world,” Bosna said.
A first-time presenter is children’s author Sally Coveleskie, who wrote the “Henry, the Steinway” series of books. Coveleskie will read and sign copies of her books on Dean Street.
“As a children’s author, I’m delighted to be part of Porchfest, where the magic of storytelling meets the joy of community,” she said. “‘Henry the Steinway and the Piano Recital’ will bring the happiness of making music to children as they visit from porch to porch.”
Another new activity, Celebration of Japan, offers origami paper crafts and Japanese snacks, kimono dressing opportunities and Japanese folk songs on Miner Street. Professors Fumiyo Kobayashi Batta of Widener University and Reiko Yoshida from Temple University will lead the activities.
“We are offering Japanese activities for the happiness of children. Folding origami frogs is fun and so is eating Japanese snacks,” Yoshida said. “Porchfest is about building community and appreciating our diversity and having a great time in the process.”
At Everhart Park, Diane Matthews School of Dance Arts will offer a class called Jazz – Hip Hop Dance Fusion with all ages welcome. Matthews returns with her students who are performing for the third year. She stated, “West Chester Dance Works/Diane Matthews School of Dance Arts will encourage and entertain audience members with performances from our five company groups representing approximately thirty dancers aged 9-70!”
This year’s presentation will include styles ranging from lyrical to hip hop and will include an invitation to the audience to join in an open dance class/routine. This is the first time that Matthews will offer a dance class to the community at Porchfest.
A directory of all Porchfest activities will be available online by May 11 and at two locations on the day of the event. All are welcome to this free community event sponsored by the West Chester Green Team. For more information, please go to westchesterporchfest.com.
Source: Berkshire mont
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