250Lex Porch Fest Graphic
In celebration of the city’s 250th birthday, Lexington, Kentucky is hosting a community-wide porch festival! This free, community event is a 2-day, “choose your own adventure”-style celebration of Lexington’s neighborhoods and musicians, taking place on June 7-8, 2025.
This is a unique event and we know you probably have lots of questions, so we've outlined some FAQs and tips & tricks below!
Click here for our interactive Google Map!
Click here for the 250Lex Porch Fest Lineup & Schedule!
FAQs:
What is 250Lex Porch Fest? It's a free and family-friendly event designed to bring the community together and to bring Lexington's 250th Birthday celebrations directy into the homes and neighborhoods of our residents! Individuals and businesses across the city will host low-key, intimate musical performances on their front porches or lawns throughout the weekend. It's a choose-your-own-adventure format, with attendees encouraged to attend as many performances as they’d like throughout the weekend. Stick in your own neighborhood, or venture out and make new friends!
When is it? 250Lex Porch Fest will take place Saturday, June 7 and Sunday, June 8, from 12-6 p.m. each day. Most venues will host one band for an hour-long performance, but several locations will have more than one band!
Where does it take place? As the map shows, performances will take place all over Lexington -- we even have one locatoin in Versailles, at Montgomery Inn Bed & Breakfast (arguably the most beautiful porch on the map!). Most of the locations are residential porches and lawns, but we have several neighborhood businesses that have signed up to host events as well.
What type of music can we expect? We've got such a great variety! Americana, bluegrass, R&B, alternative rock, blues, singer-songwriter, experimental and everything in between! Some of these bands are well-traveled bands who are regulars on local stages, some of them rarely play outside their garage. Prepare to be surprised and find something new!
Who's behind 250Lex Porch Fest? The event is coordinated by Smiley Pete Publishing in partnership with the city’s 250Lex Commission as part of 250Lex's "Come Home" month. We are super grateful to Kroger for their support of the event (check out the recipes they have provided for fun picnic staples and Mason Jar Mango Margaritas!). We are also incredibly grateful to all the individual porch hosts and bands who are donating their time and space to make this event so special!
Tips for Attendees:
• Pack a camping chair & a cooler with snacks and beverages!
• Tell all your friends! Share this website and our Facebook event!
• We ask that you please be extra cognizant of additional foot traffic as you drive through these neighborhoods, and cognizant of neighbors as you park. Please don't block any driveways.
• If you are packing food items, be sure to pack a trash bag as well!
• The bands are donating their time for this event -- we've encouraged them to have tip jars and/or Venmo QR codes. Please tip them when you can!
• There will not be any public facilities available and hosts are not expected to allow people inside their homes -- please plan accordingly!
• This is a RAIN OR SHINE event -- if we get rain, hosts are encouraged to reschedule to a later time in the weekend if they would like. We will update the schedule and map to the best of our ability, but patience and flexibility on everyone's behalf is much appreciated for this first-time event!
For more details / questions, please email 250lexporchfest@smileypete.com.