Joliet Park District and CAPA present...
Porch & Park Music Fest! August 16, 2025
A community music event at historic porches and Preservation Park in Joliet, IL - 710 Taylor St.
About Porch & Park Music Fest
About Porch & Park Music Fest
Porch & Park Music Fest is a free event bringing together some of our area's most talented original musicians, plus friends from the touring community, for afternoon performances on porches in Joliet's historic Cathedral Area, followed by an evening free concert at Preservation Park, 710 Taylor St.
How Does It Work??
From 1:30 - 5 PM, take a walking rotation through the Cathedral Area to catch different music acts on various porches, then head to Preservation Park for the main concert event from 5:30 - 9 PM. Bring your own chair/blanket and pack your own goodies and refreshments. Food will be available for purchase from our friends from Moe Joe's Cajun & Caribbean Cuisine! Pick up your map of participating porches at Preservation Park or any of the porch sites beginning at 1 PM - Porch locations and pics listed below on this site...
Is it family-friendly!
Yes, it's a family-friendly event. We have a "Kids' Porch" in the neighborhood, and Preservation Park has a playground close to the stage area! We'll also have our talented hooper friend Emily on hand with a bunch of hula hoops for the kids (and young-at-heart)!
Cost to attend?? It's FREE! Thanks to our kind partners and sponsors - Joliet Park District, Cathedral Area Preservation Association, Blue Ribbon Products, Turk Furniture, D'Arcy Buick GMC, Contractor Source, Greater Joliet League Of Women Voters and Milano Bakery! If you would like to help sponsor "Porch & Park" please contact timplacher@gmail.com
Performers, Participants & Porches!
Stay tuned for the Porch & Park 2025 lineup!
Last year's artists included Smiley Tillmon Band (Chicago Blues); Crooked Tails; The Rebel Eves (Michigan Harmony Trio); Rochambeau (Bluegrass;, John Condron and the Old Gang Orchestra; Nashville Porch with Bonner Black, Makena Hartlin, Robby Hecht and Grace Pettis; Michigan Porch with Grace Theisen, Jilian Linklater and Katie Pederson; Duo porch with Chicago Blues Angels (Mondo Cortez and Bri Backman), Chloe Briese & Ryan Zobel, Amanda & Michael Roach; Irish Music with Anne Hatfield-Martin, Max Dunne & Friends; Tom & Becky Maslowski; Pete Jive; Colleen Wild; Brass/Jazz Porch with 3rd City Brass Band & Mr. Lucky and His Orchestra Of Tomorrow; Rock/Americana Porch with Valhalla Led Zeppelin & Uncle Sexy & His Nephews!
FAQ!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Porch & Park Music Fest
Where: Joliet Cathedral Area porches from 1:30-5 PM, then a concert at Preservation Park, 701 Taylor St., Joliet, from 5:30 - 9 PM
When: Saturday, August 16, 2025. Porch maps available at Preservation Park or any porch location at 1:00 PM on August 16.
What is the “Porch & Park Fest?” – Porch & Park Music Fest is a free event bringing together some of our area's most talented original musicians, plus friends from the touring community, for afternoon performances on porches in Joliet's historic Cathedral Area, followed by an evening free concert at Preservation Park, 710 Taylor St.
What else is there to do besides listening to great music? – CAPA (Cathedral Area Preservation Association) reps will have maps for historic self-tours of the neighborhood, a playground for kids, plus hula-hooping for the kids, at Preservation Park.... And also, a Kids' porch and local Art Porch.
Will there be food and drink available?— Yes,there will be tasty food avaialble at Preservation Park from Moe Joe's Cajun and Carribean Cuisine and out in the neighborhood from Magpie's Joy Of Eating! Bring your own chair and cooler, beverages and refreshements for the afternoon and evening.
Where do I park?—Street parking is available throughout the Cathedral Area near the park, plus you are free to use the nearby lots at University of St. Francis and at west end of the field at Preservation Park.
Where can I get a map and addresses of the porch locations? – The porch addresses and locations will be available on a map with pictures of each porch downloadable from this Web page, plus maps will be available on the day of the event at each porch and Preservation Park at 1:00 PM. Members of CAPA will be there to greet you at each location.
Does it cost anything to attend?— Nope! It's a FREE event kindly hosted by the Joliet Park District and Cathedral Area residents with generous support from our patrons and sponsors. If you'd like to contribute to the event , there will be donation buckets and QR codes at each porch location. All donations go to the musicians! You can also support the musicians by purchasing their merchandise at the porch locations or the park!
What should I bring?— Bring a chair, your own cooler with goodies and refreshments, sunscreen, and maybe some bug spray. Bring your purse or wallet to purchase delicious food from Magpie's Joy of Eating, Moe Joe's, some merch from our talented musicians, and if the spirit moves you, a few dollars in the donation buckets!
What’s the bathroom situation?— There will be Porta Potties at the corner of Taylor and Wilcox to serve the park. Additional Porta Potties will be located at near the Western Ave. porches at 903 and 616 Western, 615 Western and 601 Campbell St.
Is "Porch & Park" family friendly?— Yes, families are welcome! Preservation Park has a nice playground area for kids and our friend Emily Bandera, a talented hoop artist, is bringing a bunch of hoops out for the enjoyment of young and old!
Will merchandise be available? – You can support our musicians (and say Hi!) by purchasing some of their latest merchandise and music!
What if it rains? What if the weather is severe? –Being a rain or shine event, every attempt will be made to complete the show. With regard to severe weather, we will be monitoring the weather. In the event of showers, throw open an umbrella and dance in the rain. If severe weather approaches, additional measures, including cancellation, may be necessary (But we HOPE NOT!!!)
Where can I find the music lineup and performance times?— The Porch times and musicians will be listed above on this site, and will be posted on the "Porch & Park Music Fest" FB page and on IG: @porchandparkmusicfest!!
Last Year's Porches & artists!
613 Buell Ave. Joliet - Michigan Porch with Grace Theisen, Jilian Linklater,Katie Pederson
613 Buell Ave. Joliet - Michigan Porch with Grace Theisen, Jilian Linklater,Katie Pederson
613 Buell Ave. Joliet - Michigan Porch with Grace Theisen, Jilian Linklater,Katie Pederson
708 Western Ave. - Brass/Jazz with 3rd City Brass and Mr. Lucky & Orchestra Of Tomorrow
613 Buell Ave. Joliet - Michigan Porch with Grace Theisen, Jilian Linklater,Katie Pederson
613 Buell Ave. Joliet - Michigan Porch with Grace Theisen, Jilian Linklater,Katie Pederson
604 Western Ave. Nashville Artists followed by Giblin Twins & Steve Haberichter
613 Buell Ave. Joliet - Michigan Porch with Grace Theisen, Jilian Linklater,Katie Pederson
604 Western Ave. Nashville Artists followed by Giblin Twins & Steve Haberichter
616 Western - Pete Jive, Colleen Wild on back porch + Magpie's Food
601 Campbell St. - Amanda & Michael Roach, Chloe Briese & Ryan Zobel, Uncle Sexy
604 Western Ave. Nashville Artists followed by Giblin Twins & Steve Haberichter
601 Campbell St. - Amanda & Michael Roach, Chloe Briese & Ryan Zobel, Uncle Sexy
601 Campbell St. - Amanda & Michael Roach, Chloe Briese & Ryan Zobel, Uncle Sexy
601 Campbell St. - Amanda & Michael Roach, Chloe Briese & Ryan Zobel, Uncle Sexy
Bluegrass Golf Cart with Rochambeau!
601 Campbell St. - Amanda & Michael Roach, Chloe Briese & Ryan Zobel, Uncle Sexy
601 Campbell St. - Amanda & Michael Roach, Chloe Briese & Ryan Zobel, Uncle Sexy
617 Campbell St.-Irish Music Anne Hatfield-Martin, Max Dunne & Pals; John Condron & OGO; Tom & Becky
617 Campbell St.-Irish Music Anne Hatfield-Martin, Max Dunne & Pals; John Condron & OGO; Tom & Becky
617 Campbell St.-Irish Music Anne Hatfield-Martin, Max Dunne & Pals; John Condron & OGO; Tom & Becky
903 Western Ave. - Rock/Blues with Valhalla Led Zeppelin and Chicago Blues Angels
617 Campbell St.-Irish Music Anne Hatfield-Martin, Max Dunne & Pals; John Condron & OGO; Tom & Becky
617 Campbell St.-Irish Music Anne Hatfield-Martin, Max Dunne & Pals; John Condron & OGO; Tom & Becky
606 Western Ave.- More local artists (along with 615 Western)!
617 Campbell St.-Irish Music Anne Hatfield-Martin, Max Dunne & Pals; John Condron & OGO; Tom & Becky
615 Western Ave.- Art Porch with Steve Kost Metal Art, plus other local artists
615 Western Ave.- Art Porch with Steve Kost Metal Art, plus other local artists
621 Western Ave. Kids' activities! (Right next door to the Lemonade
615 Western Ave.- Art Porch with Steve Kost Metal Art, plus other local artists
619 Western Ave. Lemonade stand!
621 Western Ave. Kids' activities! (Right next door to the Lemonade
621 Western Ave. Kids' activities! (Right next door to the Lemonade
621 Western Ave. Kids' activities! (Right next door to the Lemonade
621 Western Ave. Kids' activities! (Right next door to the Lemonade
621 Western Ave. Kids' activities! (Right next door to the Lemonade
2025 Schedule of Porches and Park Music Coming!
Last Year's Porch Music Schedule!
Rotate among porches to catch a wide variety of music artists!
903 Western Ave. - 1:30 - 5 PM Rock/Blues Porch
Valhalla Led Zeppelin - 1:30 - 3:00 PM
Mondo Cortez & Bri Backman (Chicago Blues Angels) - 3:15- 4:45 PM
708 Western Ave. - 2 - 5 PM Brass & Jazz Porch
3rd City Brass Band 1:30 - 2:45 PM
Mr. Lucky and His Orchestra Of Tomorrow 3:00 PM
613 Buell Ave. - 1:30 - 3:30 PM Michigan Porch
Michiganders Grace Theisen, Katie Pederson and Jilian Linklater of The Rebel Eves entertain with their original solo music!
602 Western Ave. Nashville Porch & Giblin Twins
Nashville singer/songwriters playing songs in a Music City-style round, PLUS the amazing twin sister harmonies of the Giblin Twins
1:30 PM - Bonner Black - Hot Rock, TN
Grace Pettis - Austin, TX
Robby Hecht - Madison, WI
Makena Hartlin - New Lenox, IL
3:30 PM - The Giblin Twins with Steve Haberichter
617 Campbell St. - 2-5 PM Irish Music/Local Artists
1:30 - Irish Music with Anne Hatfield-Martin & Friends
2:30 - John Condron and The Old Gang Orchestra,
3:30 - Tom & Becky Maslowski
601 Campbell St. - Duos/Folk Rock
1:30 - Amanda And Michael Roach
2:30 - Chloe Briese and Ryan Zobel
3:30 - Uncle Sexy & His Nephews
606 & 615 Western Ave. - Art Porchs
Award-winning Steve Kost Metal Arts, Angelica Cristal and other local artists!
619 Western Ave. - Lemonade!
Neighborhood kids hoping to stuff their pockets with $ by selling you tasty/ice-cold lemonade!
621 Western Ave. - Kids' Activities
Local girl scouts from Troop 75493 running crafts and fun and for kids, and may also be playing a few tunes for you on their school band instruments!
Preservation Park 2024 Schedule
5:30 PM - Nashville Musicians
6:10 PM - The Rebel Eves (harmony trio from Michigan)
7:10 PM - Crooked Tails (one of our local area's premier original bands)
8:10 PM - The Smiley Tillmon Band (authentic Chicago Blues)
9:00 PM - Fest closes
9:30 PM - Invisible Cartoons (at the Drunken Donut)!
- Emily Bandera on hand at the Preservation Park playground with hula hoops and other fun items for the kids and young-at-heart!
- Moe Joe's Cajun has their award-winning food available for purchase!
- The Moe Joe's Jr. Lemonade Stand will be at the park, raising $ for "Pies For Eyes," which provides specialized vision goggles for vision-impaired young people.
616 Western Ave. (Wilcox side)- Songwriters & Magpie's FOOD!
Back porch music with Pete Jive - 2:30; Colleen Wild - 3:30
Last year's Music Artists! 2025 Lineup coming soon!
Smiley Tillmon Blues Band
Smiley Tillmon Blues Band
Smiley Tillmon Blues Band
One of the busiest blues outfits in Chicagoland, the Smiley Tillmon Band is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. . After 55 years on the local blues scene, Tillmon serves up the blues and soul standards that people never seem to stop craving, his rich vocals and fluid guitar backed by a band that keeps his grooves tight and right. Closing things out at Preservation Park!
Crooked Tails
Smiley Tillmon Blues Band
Smiley Tillmon Blues Band
Our area's premier singer/songwrter band, joining forces of Allison Flood, Brain Motyll, John Condron, Doneco Nudi and Chris Foray
The Rebel Eves
Smiley Tillmon Blues Band
The Rebel Eves
Composed of three Michigan-bred award-winning songwriters: Katie Pederson, Grace Theisen and Jilian Linklater-- closing out a summer tour that saw them play the mainstage at Bliss Fest, these women have spent the better part of the last decade writing, touring, and singing across the country as solo artists, landing between Nashville, TN and Michigan.
Katie Pederson
Katie Pederson
The Rebel Eves
On the Michigan Porch: Award-winning singer/songwriter from Ann Arbor, MI, now based in Nashville.
Makena Hartlin
Katie Pederson
Makena Hartlin
On the Nashville Porch: The "Songbird Of Nashville," Singer/Songwriter originally from New Lenox, IL
Grace Pettis
Katie Pederson
Makena Hartlin
On the Nashville Porch: Multi-award-winning singer/songwriter from Austin, TX, now based in Nashville.
John Condron & The OGO
John Condron & The OGO
John Condron & The OGO
One of our area's most popular Singer/Songwriters, joined by his Old Gang Orchestra- Ellis Wright, Tom Maslowski, Doneco Nudi
Robby Hecht
John Condron & The OGO
John Condron & The OGO
Robby Hecht has been captivating audiences as a touring singer-songwriter for over two decades. With a remarkable blend of insightful lyricism, memorable melodies, and a voice that carries both strength and tenderness, his music resonates with audiences from all walks of life
Rochambeau
John Condron & The OGO
Valhalla- The Led Zeppelin Experience
Bluegrass band of stellar Chicago-area players, cruising through the neighborhoods of Porch & Park Fest on a 6-person golf cart and playing at various locations!
Valhalla- The Led Zeppelin Experience
Valhalla- The Led Zeppelin Experience
Valhalla- The Led Zeppelin Experience
Zep music by some of the best Chicago-area players, featuring Edward Page and Peter Merkle
Bonner Black
Valhalla- The Led Zeppelin Experience
3rd City Brass Band
On the Nashville Porch: Singer/Songwriter from rural Tennessee, now based in Nashville. Latest songs, "Breaking A Sweat" and "Take Me On" out now on your streaming platforms!
3rd City Brass Band
Valhalla- The Led Zeppelin Experience
3rd City Brass Band
The premier brass band of the Chicago south 'burbs!
Mr. Lucky & His Orchestra Of Tomorrow
Irish Music with Anne Hatfield-Martin, Max Dunne and Friends!
Mr. Lucky & His Orchestra Of Tomorrow
Mr. Lucky brings out his swingin' crew to the Brass/Jazz Porch!
The Giblin Twins & Steve Haberichter
Irish Music with Anne Hatfield-Martin, Max Dunne and Friends!
Mr. Lucky & His Orchestra Of Tomorrow
The long-awaited return of one of the area's best harmony duos, with Steve Haberichter, founder of the Frankfort Bluegrass Fest
Irish Music with Anne Hatfield-Martin, Max Dunne and Friends!
Irish Music with Anne Hatfield-Martin, Max Dunne and Friends!
Irish Music with Anne Hatfield-Martin, Max Dunne and Friends!
"Lord Of The Dance" fiddler Anne Hatfield-Martin and Max Dunne host an Irish music session, also featuring Irish flute player Joe Nielsen and fiddler Samantha Nielsen!
Uncle Sexy & The Nephews
Chloe Briese and Ryan Zobel
Irish Music with Anne Hatfield-Martin, Max Dunne and Friends!
One of the best Americana Rock bands in the Chicago area!
Tom & Becky
Chloe Briese and Ryan Zobel
Chloe Briese and Ryan Zobel
Summer 2024 brings the return of one of the Joliet-area's favorite duos, Becky and Tom Maslowski!
Chloe Briese and Ryan Zobel
Chloe Briese and Ryan Zobel
Chloe Briese and Ryan Zobel
The teen band No Xscape rocked the 20-Teens, and two of its members, Chloe Briese and Ryan Zobel are back together with a duo just for Porch & Park!
Michael & Amanda Roach
Michael & Amanda Roach
Michael & Amanda Roach
Thy live right in the neighborhood, and we love having Amanda and Michael share their music on our porches!
Pete Jive
Michael & Amanda Roach
Michael & Amanda Roach
Talented singer/songwriter Pete Jive entertains with his original music and select covers!
Colleen Wild
Michael & Amanda Roach
Magpie's Joy Of Eating
Singer/songwriter Colleen entertains with a selection of originals and covers!
Magpie's Joy Of Eating
Magpie's Joy Of Eating
Magpie's Joy Of Eating
At 616 Western (Wilcox side) grab some delicious Magpie's food to go, or sit down and enjoy the backyard music!
Preservation Park Lineup - 710 Taylor St (5:30-9 PM)!
Preservation Park Stage Artists
Preservation Park Stage Artists
Preservation Park Stage Artists
Live music in the park from 5:30 - 9 PM
2025 Artists coming soon!
Moe Joe's Cajun!
Preservation Park Stage Artists
Preservation Park Stage Artists
Delicious food available for purchase at Preservation Park from Moe Joe's Cajun!
Kids' activities
Local hooper Emily Bandera will be on hand to entertain kids with an array of hula hoops! Plus, there's a beautiful playground onsite.
Moe Joe's Jr. Lemonade Stand
Alva and her friends selling delicious lemonade at the Park to benefit "Pie's For Eyes!"
Help Our Cause
Support Porch & Park Music Fest with a donation that goes directly to supporting the many participating performers!
