The Cooper-Young community’s roots are showing — grassroots, that is. Like most events in Cooper-Young, a few folks got together and said, “Hey, you know what we ought to do?” And Memphis’ first Porchfest quickly grew into a grassroots celebration of spring, music, and Cooper-Young.
The first Porchfest was held in Ithaca, New York, in 2007, and has spread to more than 100 cities since. Now, the festival has found a place in the historic Cooper-Young neighborhood. Staged on the many eclectic porches in the area, musicians can perform on their own porch or find a friend who lives in the neighborhood and play on their porch. Coupled with this event, the Cooper-Young Community Association will also be bringing back their annual community yard sale.
Those CY folks are a neighborly bunch and have been missing the many community events that usually take place throughout the year. “After a lot of reflection about what can and cannot be done safely, and our collective need to come together as a community, the association has decided to host yard sales and Porchfest in 2021,” says Amanda Yarbro-Dill, executive director of the Cooper-Young Community Association. “We had quite a bit of success with the porch shows and the Light the Way event we hosted in 2020. What better way to welcome spring, and shared optimism about a return to something resembling normalcy, than an event celebrating music and facilitating connections between neighbors and the greater Memphis community?”
The yard sale starts at 8 a.m., followed by the Porchfest at noon. Follow the Cooper-Young Community Association on Facebook for more information.
Cooper-Young Porchfest, Cooper-Young District, Saturday, Apr. 17, noon- 6 p.m., free.
