Cooper-Young Community Association/Facebook
A band plays on a Cooper-Young porch in October.
Porch-sitting and yard sales have long been sports of sorts in Cooper-Young, and they’ll be officially sanctioned Saturday, March 20th, with the return of the annual Cooper-Young Yard Sale and the first-ever Porchfest.
The Cooper-Young Community Association (CYCA) organized both events. The yard sale runs from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Porchfest runs from noon to 6 p.m.
The CYCA says Porchfest is “staged on the eclectic porches of our historic neighborhood, the event is intended to be a grassroots celebration of spring, music, and Cooper-Young.” For Porchfest, musicians will play on porches for an audience that can travel from yard to yard with their own blankets, chairs, food, and drink.
“After a lot of reflection about COVID — what can and cannot be done safely — and our collective need to come together as a community, the CYCA has decided to host yard sales and Porchfest in 2021,” said Amanda Yarbro-Dill, CYCA executive director. “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 connection between neighbors and the greater Memphis community.”
The first Porchfest was held in Ithaca New York in 2007 and has spread to more than 100 cities.
To sign up for a yard sale or find out more about how to volunteer a porch or play Porchfest, connect with the CYCA on Facebook or at info@cooperyoung.org.