Cortland Porchfest Rocks the Block

Get ready, Cortland—PorchFest is back and bigger than ever! On Sunday, August 16, the Van Hoesen neighborhood will be transformed into a one-of-a-kind music festival, where porches become stages, lawns turn into venues, and neighbors become friends. This free, family-friendly event is one you won't want to miss.

Date: Sunday, August 16, 2026
Time: Noon to 5 PM
Location: Van Hoesen Neighborhood (Chestnut, Harrison, Joy, and Hamlin Streets), Cortland, NY

The streets of Van Hoesen, Chestnut, Harrison, Joy, and Hamlin will be taken over by some front porch-pickin'-neighborhood-singin'-good-times. Local community members lend their porches and driveways in this cozy Cortland neighborhood for dozens of musicians to perform.

Porchfest activities kick off at noon with a not-to-be-missed kid's parade, flanked by uproarious bagpipers and oodles of confetti. Followed by a line up of over 30 live acts, from folk to rock, bagpipes to banjoes, there is a little something for everyone all day long! Get ready to rock & roll until the cows come home (or, at least until 5 PM). 

Streets are lined with tents hosting all sorts of Cortland County nonprofits bringing the merriment. There are tons of of games and craft activities for the children happening throughout the day, so get ready to get creative.

Plan your Porchfest playlist! With porches all over the neighborhood, a little planning goes a long way. Pick your porches, plan your route, and follow the music. Here’s where and when to catch each performance.

Porchfest 2026 Schedule:

12:00 PM

• Bagpipe Kickoff & Kid Parade
• Stiv Morgan  (21 Van Hoesen Street)
• Acoustic Brew  (29 Van Hoesen Street)
• Gary Carpentier  (6 Chestnut Street)

12:15 PM

• Pai Dance (Corner of Chestnut Street & Van Hoesen Street)

12:30 PM

• The Ish (34 Van Hoesen Street)
• Kevin Pristash  (17 Chestnut Street)

12:45 PM

• Old Timers Band  (Rotary Shelter)
• Straight Ahead  (5 Chestnut Street)
• Aikennadge  (27 Van Hoesen Street)
• Bradford Allen  (9 Van Hoesen Street)

1:15 PM

• Liddle-Fiddles  (34 Van Hoesen Street)
• Laurel & Ava Fiddle Tunes  (18 Chestnut Street)

1:30 PM

• Logan Oltz  (8 Van Hoesen Street)
• Jesse Bloodgood  (16 Van Hoesen Street)
• Karen Lettie Lang  (29 Van Hoesen Street)

1:45 PM

• Strings Attached  (18 Chestnut Street)
• Finger Lakes Saxophone Quartet  (3 Chestnut Street)

2:00 PM

• St. Mary’s School Band  (Rotary Shelter)

2:15 PM

• Billy & The Therapists  (28 Chestnut Street)
• Cherry Holler  (4 Joy Street)
• The David Graybeard Band  (29 Van Hoesen Street)
• Tom Bloodgood  (16 Van Hoesen Street)
• Lost Marble Theory  (Showmobile)

2:30 PM

• The Local Farmers Union  (10 Harrison Street)
• Underground Flute Operative  (5 Chestnut Street)

3:00 PM

• Studio Z Dance  (9 Van Hoesen Street)
• Nancy Mead  (34 Van Hoesen Street)
• The Starmers  (17 Chestnut Street)

3:15 PM

• Lynn Koch (4 Chestnut Street)

3:30 PM

• 4 Word Days  (Showmobile)

3:45 PM

• Lydia’s Piano Students (34 Van Hoesen Street)

4:00 PM

• Dry County Welders  (31 Chestnut Street)

4:15 PM

• Singtrece (19 Van Hoesen Street)

Schedule Notes: Most sets are 45 minutes. Performances marked as Kid Stage sets are 30 minutes. The festivities kick off at noon with the Bagpipe Kickoff & Kid Parade.

Where you even there if you don't have a t-shit to prove it? Molly Reagan’s (Good Neighbor Art) Porchfest t-shirts have such a cult following that the line wraps around the block before the music even begins! Each year the logo changes but the theme remains the same, "love your neighbor." From t-shirts to hats and everything in between, all the cool kids will be sporting this year’s logo.

Need to cool down between sets? Grab your Cortland County Ice Cream Trail map and head just around the corner to the Frosty Caboose at 107 Homer Ave. This converted train car serves up Perry’s Premium Ice Cream, and the Peanut Butter Buster Sundae is a PorchFest favorite: Peanut Butter Cup hard ice cream, chocolate syrup, peanut butter sauce, candy pieces, whipped cream, and a cherry on top. Order it to-go so you don’t miss a beat!

Bring a lawn chair, lace up your walking shoes, and don’t forget your smile, because rain or shine, the PorchFest party rolls on! More than just a music festival, PorchFest Cortland is a full-blown block party. Meet new friends, belt out all your favorite tunes, and make memories that’ll last long after the amps cool down.

From toddlers to retirees, there’s truly something for everyone at this community celebration that’s been rocking the block for a decade.

For more updates and full schedule, follow @PorchFestCortland 

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