Porch & Park Music Fest! August 22, 2026

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 22, 2026. Porch maps available at Preservation Park or any porch location at 1:00 PM on August 22.

What is the “Porch & Park Fest?” – Porch & Park Music Fest is a free, family-friendly 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 kids' porch and activity area in the neighborhood,  playground for kids at Preservation Park, local food vendors in the neighborhood and park, plus art and craft vendors!

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 refreshments for the afternoon and evening.

Where do I park?— Street parking is available throughout the Cathedral Area neighborhood, near the park, and you are free to use the nearby lots at University of St. Francis and at west end of the field at Preservation Park. FOR 2025, CATHEDRAL AREA STREET CONSTRUCTION MAY AFFECT PARKING AND STREET ACCESS THROUGHOUT THE FEST AREA-- PLEASE BE PATIENT!

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. Signs with scannable QR codes will be posted throughout the fest providing direct connection to the Porch & Park Web site on your phone!

Look for the smiley face flags! - When in doubt, all of our locations will be marked with smiley face flags out in front!

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 support the music! 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 (on Wilcox), On Clement St. between Western and Campbell, and on Buell Ave near Whitney.

Is "Porch & Park" family friendly?— Yes, families are welcome! We have a family/kids' area on Western Ave,  and Preservation Park has a nice playground area for kids. Our friend Emily Bandera, a talented hoop artist, is bringing a bunch of hoops to the park 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! Porch & Park merch will be available at Preservation Park.

Can I bring a pet?  Please leave the pets at home. Our event uses private homes and yards. The owners' generous permission to use their porches and yards does not include an invitation to bring animals onto their property. 

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 on this site, available on day-of-event flyers/maps and will be posted on the "Porch & Park Music Fest" FB page and on IG: @porchandparkmusicfest!!