Wapakoneta Porch Music Fest

The Community Events Sub-Committee for 2019 will present the Wapakoneta Porch Music Fest on Sunday, June 23, from 2 to 5 pm. Local musicians will perform on several front porches and lawns located on Auglaize to Pearl streets (north to south) and Blackhoof to Pearl streets (east to west). The event is free for musicians to participate and free for those who attend. The rain date will be June 30.

Porch fests are annual music events held across the United States and in Canada on front porches. Started in Ithaca, New York, in 2007, porch fest events bring local musicians and neighborhoods together to celebrate and create a sense of community.

Porch fest music festivals began as a means for neighbors and local community members to highlight their music on front porches. The concept was to connect musicians and porches on which they could play. The original event in Ithaca premiered with about 20 musicians but has since grown to more than 100.  Now organizers are bringing the Porch Music Fest concept to Wapakoneta

Local residents may ask why a music festival is being organized for the 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11. Neil Armstrong was a musician! At Blume High School, he was a member of the school orchestra, boys’ glee club, and band—as a   baritone player. He was also a member of a band that called itself the Mississippi    Moonshiners.

Armstrong also played in the Purdue University Concert Band, and, in the 1960s, became interested in the theremin (an instrument that generates tones electronically by a musician who moves his hands and metal antennas).

Musicians interested in participating should note that groups must include at least one person who lives in or has lived in Auglaize County. All performances are encouraged to include at least one space/moon-themed selection.  Musicians are also welcome to share a song that dates from 1969, the year Neil Armstrong walked on the moon

Organizers hope that Neil Armstrong the musician inspires other Auglaize County musicians, residents, and guests on June 23.

Those with questions may contact committee member Marlene Graf, marlene.graf1@gmail.com or contact the committee via the firstonthemoon.org website or First on the Moon Facebook page.

The 2019 Committee’s mission is to develop and implement public programs, events, and legacy efforts that reflect the many themes associated with the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon walk, and to ensure that Wapakoneta and Auglaize County are at the forefront of this worldwide commemoration.