5th Annual Porchfest
Client:
Virginia Highland District Association
Year:
2025
Virginia Highland Porchfest is a massive neighborhood activation that transforms residential front porches into stages for over 100 local bands. With over 70,000 attendees, the goal was to develop a bold, music-inspired visual identity that captured the neighborhood's historic energy while solving the complex logistical challenges of a multi-site festival.
By revitalizing the festival's identity for its 5th anniversary, I created a unified "look and feel" that anchored the event’s 40,000 visitors in the Virginia Highland brand. This project demonstrates the value of Information Architecture—turning a chaotic 100-band lineup and 50-porch map into a streamlined, sharable, and professional (yet inviting) branded event experience.
The Digital Experience
To ensure a seamless attendee experience and massive social reach, I designed a suite of digital tools optimized for high-speed sharing and clarity:
The "Survival Guide": A comprehensive social media guide shared over 600 times to help neighbors and visitors navigate the day.
Performer Announcements: Custom-branded graphics for over 100 bands, optimized for Facebook and email newsletters, garnering over 6,500 total shares.
Viral Lineup Navigation: An official "Band List" social media carousel shared over 2,500 times, serving as the primary tool for attendees to find music across the district.
The Physical Presence
Managing over 70,000 people across residential streets requires extreme care and precision in physical design. I produced a comprehensive signage system to manage the festival's footprint through the streets of VAHI.
Wayfinding Signage: Colorful, high-contrast directional markers guiding attendees through 50+ performance locations.
Activation Banners: Specialized branding for key zones, including the Rock n’ Relay fun run and the Kids Corner at John Howell Park.
District-Wide Banners: High-visibility lightpole banners that unified the neighborhood into a cohesive, professional festival grounds.
Tactile Assets: Custom volunteer t-shirts for the 100+ person team, race bibs for athletes, and "Superlative" award certificates for neighborhood winners.
Event Photography By Sarah Carpenter
