FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about the Ol’ Front Porch Music Festival
What is your mission? The mission of the Ol’ Front Porch Music Festival, Inc. is to organize musical events and educational programs which provide performance venues for our region’s diverse range of musicians, while also fostering economic vitality in Pamlico County, and bringing people of different racial and cultural backgrounds, young and old, together to perform, affording both the audience and the performers the opportunity to learn about and appreciate their shared musical heritage.
Where does the festival location take place? The Riverfront Stage is at 605 South Ave, Oriental, NC. Other performances take place on porches in a roughly two block radius of the Riverfront Stage.
How do I purchase tickets for the Festival? There are no tickets; the Ol’ Front Porch Music Festival is free to the public, thanks to generous sponsors and donors. Please consider making a donation to support the festival at the Information Booth.
What are the Festival Hours? Performances begin at 11 a.m. each day, the last performance is at 5 p.m. and ends by 6:30 p.m. The Food Park is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m or until sold out. The Village Market is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. or until sold out.
Do I need to bring a chair? The Ol’ Front Porch Festival provides some folding chairs at each performance location. Feel free to bring your own folding chair to ensure you have a place to sit. Umbrellas or shade structures are not allowed as they can interfere with audience sightlines.
Can I bring in food and drink? You may bring food and drink into the festival grounds; alcoholic beverages are not permitted.
Can I bring my dog? Leashed dogs are permitted. If your dogs are disruptive to people, performances, or other animals you may be asked to remove them from the festival. Please clean up after your pet!
Smoking policy The Ol’ Front Porch Festival is a smoke free environment. We ask that you not smoke or use e-cigarettes in the festival audience or near the porches.
Golf Carts, Vehicles, Shuttles and Parking Golf carts are permitted in the festival area; golf carts must stay behind the sound booth at the Riverfront Stage. At Porch venues, please do not pull your cart onto the lawn; park your cart on the street and walk to the porch.
The Festival provides a courtesy golf cart shuttle intended primarily for handicapped patrons, based at the Transportation Hub at the corner of Freemason and Third.
Parking: If possible, please use parking lots noted on the Festival Map. When parking along town streets without curbs, please pull all the way off the road and onto the grass. Please take care not to block driveways. A handicapped parking area is available at the Transportation Hub at Freemason and Third.
Lodging for the Festival weekend A word to the wise: book early! The Ol’ Front Porch Music Festival weekend is one of the most popular of the season. For information on lodging, visit https://townoforiental.com/ . There is one small RV campground in Oriental: https://www.facebook.com/RvparkOrientalNC/ .
What do you do with donated money? Where does the money go? There is no paid staff for the Ol’ Front Porch Music Festival. Your donations go to
- Operating costs for the annual festival, including performer fees, equipment rentals and
insurance - An annual college scholarship to a PCHS student who has been involved the school
music programs - Accounting and other service fees to professionals supporting the work of the festival
- Printing and publicity for the festival
If you have any other questions feel free to contact the festival at info@olfrontporch.org.
What is the history of the Festival?
The Ol’ Front Porch Music Festival was founded 2014 by Dottie and Dick Osmun and Leslie Kellenberger. Its roots are in music played on the porches of Oriental, decades ago: