PorchFestBWK:
Turning Porches into Stages and Strangers into Friends
A conversation between two friends almost five years ago has grown into a major event in Downtown Brunswick, bringing a community together to enjoy music, food and fun. We talked to Jason Umfress and Angie Young about what makes Brunswick’s PorchFest so special.
Jason told us, “The concept is simple, really. Start with a bunch of local performers, set them up on the porches of historic homes in Downtown Brunswick, invite all your friends and let the magic happen.” But where did this simple idea come from? The first PorchFest was held in Ithaca, New York in 2007, but the idea came to Brunswick via the Oakhurst community of Decatur, Georgia.
“In late 2017 or early 2018, my brother-in-law told me about the annual event in Oakhurst,” said Angie, “and it sounded perfect for SoGlo.” SoGlo stands for South of Gloucester and is a name the residents and businesses of Downtown Brunswick have adopted for the area.