On the north side, there are typical neighborhood sounds that can be found nearly anywhere in Iowa City.
A creak of the porch, the clinking of a wind chime, a bird chirping in the distance and cars passing by. New sounds will join the fun at the Northside Neighbors Music Fest, taking music to the porch and connecting neighbors.
Organized by Abby Bankes, Mike Partridge, and Sydney Uhlman, the Northside Neighbors Music Fest on Sunday, May 31, is inspired by the longstanding Longfellow Neighborhood’s Front Porch Music Festival.
The trio, all active members of the Northside Neighborhood Association, bonded over their love of the local festival and thought the northside could benefit from a similar community event.
“A big part of it is getting people together and getting to know their neighbors,” Uhlman said. “What’s really cool about Longfellow Front Porch Festival is that it’s a variety of genres, a variety of ages, and a lot of different skill levels.”
Seventeen artists and local groups will perform at nine venues across the neighborhood from 2 to 4:45 p.m., including Freegrass and Dave Whiting. The schedule allows festival-goers to see as much music as possible while also exploring the neighborhood. The endeavor is made possible by a grant from RSFIC, in partnership with the James Theater and, of course, neighbors. Performances last half an hour each, scattered along porches on Lucas, Linn, Davenport, Gilbert, Brown, Johnson, and Governor streets.
“We didn’t really have to chase down hosts…so many people were willing to open up their space, their porches and yards to other people, whether they know them or not,” Bankes said. “That has been really heartening.”
That is the goal of the Northside Neighbors Music Fest: to connect neighbors to their community.
“Humans tend to be pretty insular, and our culture doesn’t necessarily prioritize community and connection as much as maybe we want it to, so having these events and then supporting these events is a really good way to show we do care about our neighbors,” Uhlman said. “We do want to know who lives on our block, we do want to be able to borrow a cup of sugar, or maybe know who speaks Arabic, in case you need a translator.”
Partridge is a musician who plays in the Family Folk Machine, and many of Sunday’s artists call the northside home.
“We have so many extremely talented and super interesting people in our neighborhood, and it is really cool to show off that people here are not only really talented but also really dedicated to the neighborhood,” Bankes said.
The weekly Northside Outside event serves as a perfect nightcap, with live music from Dodge Street Duo at 5 p.m., followed by Dave Moore at 6 p.m.
Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and education reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at JRish@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @rishjessica_
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: This new Iowa City festival is taking music to the neighborhood porch
Reporting by Jessica Rish, Iowa City Press-Citizen / Iowa City Press-Citizen
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