After 52 years of celebrating and conserving community heritage in Athens, the Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation is changing its name to Historic Athens.
To honor that change and to expand its mission, the nonprofit is launching its first ever “Historic Athens Porchfest” later this year. Executive Director Tommy Valentine explains how it works.
“This exciting event will give us an opportunity to celebrate four of historic neighborhoods here in Athens, that means Pulaski Heights, Newtown, Boulevard and Buena Vista, through a series of pop up concerts that’ll take place” Valentine said. “Imagine a block party over the course of these four neighborhoods.”
Porchfests are a growing national trend, with more than 300 individual festivals launched nationwide since the first porchfest in 2007. In total, the Athens event will include 48 pop-up concerts, two each hour in each historic neighborhood.
“Residents in that neighborhood will be able to sign up to host one of these concerts, local musicians will be able to sign up to participate and the public is able to participate for free.”
Valentine says the events will serve a variety of purposes.
“It’ll be a great chance to know our local neighborhoods, our local heritage and also celebrate our music scene.”
The organization’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved the name change along with a new logo at its July meeting.
For more information about Historic Athens, or to sign up for the Historic Athens Porchfest, visit historicathens.com,historicathens.com/porchfest, or facebook.com/historicathens.
