In its fifth year, Napa’s summertime collection of musical talent drew more fans than ever before.
At least 12,000 spectators, and as many as 15,000, converged on nearly five dozen homes and stages for the annual Porchfest music festival, according to organizers Thea Witsil and Juliana Inman. By foot or bicycle, visitors streamed into Napa’s historic Old Town district, ABC area and Alta Heights for a smorgasbord of 116 musical acts ranging from rock to jazz to Delta blues and folk – with most performances taking place on the porches and lawns of local homeowners, inns and bed-and-breakfasts.
Attendance exceeded the turnout at Napa’s four previous Porchfests by several thousand, leading festival organizers to quickly reserve streets for pedestrian use to accommodate the crowds. Motor vehicle closures on parts of Franklin, Oak, Randolph and Division streets near downtown began within 20 minutes of the festival’s noon start, moved up an hour from past festivals.
“I like that it’s free and it gives unknown bands an opportunity to play,” said Rose Dias, who came up from San Leandro to see her first Napa Porchfest. “Every (fan) has a chance to find their particular style.”
In contrast to the 2014 festival’s near-punishing heat, Porchfest spectators on Sunday were treated to gentle, mid-80s temperatures, the day before a heat spike that is forecast to bring 100-degree highs by midweek.
Still, the weather did not go completely ignored by musicians. One Porchfest act, the Amber Snider Band, reminded listeners of California’s lingering drought with their choice of song — a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?”
