By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
A full day of music, visual arts, dance, drumming, workshops, storytelling and circus arts will be laid out Saturday in the second annual Sitka Porch Fest.
“It’s a community music and arts celebration,” said Dixon Elegant, one of the organizers of Porch Fest and a Greater Sitka Arts Council board member. “We got a lot of people interested in participating after last year’s success.”
The event is presented by the Greater Sitka Arts Council.
All of the activities will take place indoors and outdoors on Lincoln Street, with a number of music acts and a storytelling event scheduled for the KCAW/BEAK porch stage, on the back side of the Cable House.
Sitka Cirque member Kobi Weiland performs at Porch Fest in 2021. This year’s event kicks off Saturday. (Sentinel file Photo)
Lincoln Street will be closed between St. Michael’s Cathedral and City Hall.
In all, 19 performances are slated at the venues listed below, and a number of shops and galleries are hosting artists and their work as an “art walk.” Workshops are offered at a few of the venues throughout the day.
Elegant said the rain in the forecast shouldn’t dampen the event. “It’s happening rain or shine. It is Sitka, after all,” she said.
A number of businesses and galleries are participating, and links to the artists and events are at sitkaartscouncil.org/schedule
KCAW-FM will air some of the music acts live.
Sitka Tells Tales, a live storytelling event presented by Artchange and KCAW, will be held live on the KCAW/BEAK Porch Stage at 4:30 p.m.
Saturday’s theme is “Long Days, Bright Nights: A Summer Rendezvous of Spoken Word and Music.”
Artchange director Ellen Frankenstein said it will be a good mix of “story and song” featuring stories, music and poetry. Everyone is welcome to attend the live event, and the session will be recorded and aired 7 p.m. June 21 on KCAW.
“It’s a celebratory event, we’ll be mixing genres with a variety of people, young and old,” Frankenstein said. “Artchange is always happy to collaborate with other groups, like KCAW and the Greater Sitka Arts Council.”
Musician Erin Broderick, a former Americorps service member, will have a busy day, performing three times, as a solo act and as a member of Fishing for Cats and the Celtic music group.
She’s been playing music since she was 4 when she picked up the violin and learned through the Suzuki method. In her teen years, she turned to bluegrass and Celtic music.
She said her taste in music is influenced by her Irish and Cayuga Native American roots.
Although she’s a fairly recent arrival to Sitka, she has felt embraced by the community, including the music community.
“It’s amazing how people have welcomed me with open arms,” she said. “I feel like I’ve grown as a musician.”
Arts council board members will be selling tickets for a GSAC fundraising raffle. First prize is two round trip tickets on Alaska Airlines. Other prizes are a $250 and $100 gift cards from Sea Mart. Tickets are $10 and limited to 500. The drawing will take place Saturday.
In addition to Porch Fest, GSAC is the organizer of the Art Walks and Wearable Art Show, and the umbrella organization for the Monthly Grind, Sitka Community Theater and Sitka Strings.
KCAW/BEAK Porch Stage
1 p.m. Summerfall
2 p.m. Breakwater Blues
3 p.m. Celtic Ceoltoiri
4:30 p.m. Sitka Tells Tales Live Event
6 p.m. Glorious Youth Parade
7 p.m. Orbee and the Sungazers
Island Artists Gallery
Noon - Fage
1 p.m. Johnny Y Los Underwater Skeletons
2 p.m. Jeannie Jay
3 p.m. Sitka Studio of Dance
4 p.m. Contra Dance and Fishing for Cats
Sitka Lutheran Church
12:30 p.m. Chris Worth
2:30 p.m. Erin Broderick
3:30 p.m. Hostel Environment A.K.A. Common Space
Totem Square
11 a.m. Haa Shagoon Drumming Group
1 p.m. New Archangel Dancers
2:30 p.m. Sitka Strings
4:15 p.m. Sitka Cirque
