Front Porch Music Festival Brought Community Together for a Rockin’ Good Time

Front Porch Music Festival Brought Community Together for a Rockin’ Good Time

Front Porch Music has been a household name in Valparaiso for as long as I can remember. Front Porch had the opportunity to unite the community once again during its 4th Annual Front Porch Music Festival. The event was welcomed with clear skies and perfect weather on afternoon of Sunday, July 31 in Valparaiso’s Central Park Plaza.

Chad Clifford, Owner of Front Porch Music, said, “This is our fourth year throwing this event, and we are very excited for today’s festival. We have so many different things going on today. We’re offering guitar and ukulele lessons, and there’s also a station where kids can paint pictures of musical instruments.”

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Front Porch essentially offers any service you can imagine when it comes to instruments. Whether you’re looking to get your guitar repaired or you’re hoping to learn how to play the guitar, Front Porch is your one-stop-shop for anything music related. With a friendly staff and positive company culture, it is considered a Valparaiso staple.

Michelle Clifford, Owner of Front Porch Music, said, “This event unites people through the passion of music. It really hopes to encourage and inspire young musicians to come out and perform. We have a lot of events going on today, so there’s something for everyone. Central Park Plaza is the perfect place to hold a community event like today’s festival.”

The Cliffords truly have a genuine, heartfelt passion for spreading their love of music. By bringing in other local organizations, the event was truly able to capture the spirit of downtown Valparaiso. Local restaurants like Valpo Velvet, Valpo Vienna, and Margaritas set up shop and offered food for purchase. The Musical Festival truly embodied the concept of working together as a community to share something special.

Cathy Brown, Owner of Valpo Velvet, said, “The reason I think it’s so important for music festivals like this to exist is because it’s vital for young musicians to have a place to perform and showcase their talents. Front Porch is a genuine organization that is positively impacting the Valparaiso community.”

Performers at the festival included Garage Bands, Pawn Shop Casey, Mike Forest, Taylor Fleming, Carolun Rodea, Collin & Evan, Patrick Jansen, Juna Johnson, Captain Ambivalent, The Oscars, Beth Niemann, Mami Matsuda, Folkgrass, The Code Names, Angela Cicco, Thanks Again, Rito, Peter Nye Band, CrawPuppies, and Planetary Blues. These local artists represented a wide range of styles and genres, demonstrating the artistic diversity that exists within Northwest Indiana. The performers also demonstrated that music is a universal concept. Performers of all ages took the stage during the festival.

Julia Dujmovich, performer in the Front Porch Garage Bands, said, “Chad helped us a lot during practice and made sure that we understood everthing before today’s performance. He’s been a huge help throughout this process. Showcasing local music is important because it motivates musicians to keep at it. I personally think the Front Porch Music Festival is important because it shows citizens the talent that exists within our community.”

At the end of the evening, the attendees of the festival gleamed with pride and joy of the talent that exists within Valparaiso. It’s safe to say that music is the most powerful language. Local organizations like Front Porch Music reassure us all that our community is in great hands.