FREEHOLD – For the fourth year in a row, Porch Fest returned to downtown Freehold, lining up Main Street with local musical acts and various vendors for people to enjoy as they walked through Freehold’s downtown restaurant district.
Several organizations and businesses hired local artists to perform on their doorstep, hoping to draw a crowd so they could promote their organizations or businesses to people in town while creating a space for members of the community to gather and enjoy each other’s company. Many of the porches hosted several acts throughout the event to draw in listeners who enjoy different genres.
One of the main gathering places for the vendors was right in front of the Hall of Records on Main Street. The different types of vendors who attended the event included those who sold different types of music memorabilia, from stuff such as records to old promotional posters of bands like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. In addition, several local businesses had a setup in this area as well, including Essential Life Chiropractic and Wellness, and Cream Ridge Winery, a small, handcrafted winery in Cream Ridge.
A few of the local bands and solo acts that performed from the porches on Main Street included Food Stock, Jennifer Karma Music, and Josh Zuckerman. Six Ways To Nowhere focused on 70s and 80s music, such as various covers of songs made by Kiss and or a cover of “American Girl” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
Josh Zuckerman performed on a porch that had several tents surrounding it that were run by The Safe Shot Gun Range, a local simulated shooting range based in Freehold. Their tents included free water and hot dogs for those who stopped to listen to the music. Zuckerman performed songs such as “The One I Love” by REM and “House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals.
One of the performers who performed on the porch of the American Legion Post 54, Freehold’s branch of the largest wartime U.S. veterans service organization, was Howell’s very own Michael Cappetto. Cappetto has been making himself known in the local music scene, performing at several local events, such as this, and performing at local open mic nights, such as the ones hosted by Beach Haus Brewery in Belmar. His set list included covers of Radiohead songs, a cover of “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls, and several original songs, such as “Nowhere to Go,” where Cappetto talks about the complex feelings he had after losing his grandfather.
The entire event was put on by DowntownFreehold.com, a group of local organizers who help create various cultural events to foster the downtown’s economic development, encouraging the downtown’s overall revitalization, and preserving the downtown’s historic past. They do this by hosting events such as Porch Fest and the summer concert series in order to bring more attention to the district. Those who are interested in being more active in community events are encouraged to check out their website to find any future events.
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