NORFOLK, Va. — Music has always found a way to bring people together. That power will be on full display across Norfolk neighborhoods this weekend with the return of the "Porchella" days before the new year.
A by-product of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Porchella is a collection of mini-concerts where local musicians connect with homeowners across the area to utilize their front porches and play free music sets for small audiences.
“I had 60 people at the house out front just listening to my music, enjoying a free show, and I think that’s what makes music so special. It’s what brings people together," Allegra Duchaine told 13News Now, reflecting on her 2022 performance in Colonial Place.
“So cliched... but cliched for a reason: music is the universal language. It speaks to everyone everywhere, and it’s such a connector," she added.
Cristina Fletcher, Porchella's main organizer, wrote on social media that the event's footprint needed to be expanded for 2023 to Park Place and Ghent areas to accommodate all the musicians this year. There are several acts in the Riverview neighborhood as well.
The event took a brief hiatus in 2021 during the height of the COVID-19 omicron variant surge, when several musicians contracted the strain.
Musicians like Skye Zentz, who played the first Porchella, are excited to be on the billing again.
“It's rare to play a gig around town where people are there to actually listen to you. But Porchella commands that because the nature of someone looking at you on a porch is not conducive to talk to your friend. So you’re there to listen," Zentz said.
The sets are staggered across the locations between 6 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 30, lasting approximately 30 minutes.
Those looking to enjoy the night can find the full map of musicians here.