“Porchfest-style event features more than 40 acts, with an emphasis on local performers and promoting diverse musical genres”

Here’s the big music and arts news coming out of Dorchester today:

The Ashmont-Adams neighborhood of Boston, located in the southern section of Dorchester, will be hosting the first ever Dorchfest music festival on June 4 from 11:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. The event, which is co-hosted by Ashmont-Adams Neighborhood Association and Greater Ashmont Main Street, will feature more than 40 performances from a variety of genres, including rock, oldies, acoustic, funk, jazz, hip hop, Haitian, Cape Verdean, folk, Indian, Caribbean, reggae, Latin, electronic and more. 

The artists will be paid for their time thanks to generous donations from the community, as well as sponsorships from local organizations and grant funding.

“Performers and supporters provide a massive benefit by making it possible for communities to enjoy free events like Dorchfest,” Erin Caldwell, Dorchfest chair, said in a media statement. “After more than two years of Covid-19 uncertainty and stress, we felt it was critical that the performers be compensated for their time and talent.”

The lot of Dot natives performing will include Tim MacMaster, “whose bagpipes at his family home of 7 Fossdale Road will kick off the event at 11:30am,” and Richie Parsons, “who will be performing at his childhood home of 4 Westmoreland Street.”

“It is a thrill and an honor to return to 4 Westmoreland for Dorchfest 2022,” Parsons said in a statement. “The house was in the Parsons family for 100 years, 1916 – 2016. I am looking forward to hanging out with the current owners, our hosts Amanda and Nate. The neighborhood and the home hold many fond memories for me.”

More info below:

Other performers are current residents of the area, or have ties to the community. Kids from the Boston City Singers and Mather Elementary School will provide entertainment. A full roster of performers is available at dorchfest.com/bands. Set times and performance locations will be announced later this month. 

Dorchfest is free and open to the public. Festival-goers who wish to take public transportation should ride buses or red line transit to Ashmont Station or Adams Village. Performances will be held on private porches within the boundaries of Adams Street, Ashmont Street, Gallivan Boulevard and Dorchester Avenue. 

Dorchfest is still seeking volunteers to help with day-of logistics; visit dorchfest.com/volunteer to sign up.

Primary event sponsors include The City of Boston Opportunity Fund, Mass Cultural Council, Ashmont-Adams Neighborhood Association, The Pat O’Neill Memorial Fund and The Martin Richard Foundation, as well as private donations from individuals. Donations are tax deductible and can be made at dorchfest.com.

For more information, visit dorchfest.com, or follow us on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.