Neighbors and local business owners are coming together for the first official Hill City Porchapalooza on Saturday Sept. 28. The event is free to the public.
Mark Hopkins, owner of Hoppy’s North River Corner Market said the community put together an event last year, but this is their first official launch of Hill City Porchapalooza.
Imagine combining the longest yard sale, Southside’s MainX24, and the Highland Porch Fest – that’s what you’ll see and experience at Porchapalooza.
“It is turning into that sort of a vibe,” Hopkins said. “We’ve got probably a dozen people in the neighborhood that are having something at their house so far. We are seeing it kind of pick up exponentially as we go forward.”
Their website has an interactive map of registered activities to date. A house on West Peak Street will have a silly obstacle course suited for all ages. There is a skate race planned on Spears Ave., along with a lemonade stand, and a leaf rubbing station for kids provided by a local arborist.
Right next to Hopkins’ store, on West Bell Ave., there will be a pet parade which starts at 11 a.m.
Porchapalooza will feature a vendor’s market at the Goddard School for Early Childhood Development. Hopkins said the market will have food trucks on-site as well as live music and plenty of things to shop for. From 1-4 p.m. there will be a community health fair at 406 May Street.
A yard sale and BBQ Brisket sliders will be available at vendors on West Mississippi Ave. Other activities may be added as the event gets closer.
Hopkins said there was a shooting incident in their neighborhood last year that left the residents unsettled. They organized a spontaneous event to help them through the situation. Porchapalooza was born.
“The area is a nice neighborhood,” Hopkins said. “And the residents wanted to do something to create a positive outcome of a one-time negative event. We needed to do something to show everybody the neighborhood is in fact up and coming, with a lot of great people living over here. This is a fun and safe place to be.”
Hopkins once lived in a nearby neighborhood.
“I had a house on Darthmouth Street 30 years ago,” Hopkins said. “I remember when Tremont Street was not a place where you parked your car at night. Now Tremont is one of the hottest places to be.”
Hopkins said the Hill City neighborhood has gone through a similar transformation.
He said Porchapalooza brings people together and neighbors get to share their creativity, skills and passions in a fun and welcoming environment.
He said it helps build his neighborhood’s camaraderie, as well as meeting like-minded individuals who come from neighborhoods nearby.
He said he would like Porchapalooza to grow each year.
If you want to set up a vendor booth or become a sponsor you can do so online. Proceeds from your sponsorship will benefit a local charity of your choice, the Humane Educational Society or Northside Neighborhood House.
For more information and to click on the interactive map visit: hillcityporch.com
Follow the market’s Facebook Page for event updates at: facebook.com/wbellandspears