It's official: I have a new favorite Ithaca tradition. It's Porchfest, a festival of musicians playing on porches and front lawns in Ithaca. I spent Sunday blissfully wandering around Ithaca, following the music. My first stop was to see The Small Kings, described as "Post-pop Funk-daddy rockers on Bluegrass" on the Porchfest website.

Members of the Small Kings.

I was instantly drawn in, not just to the music, but to the whole atmosphere of the event. It seemed like all of Ithaca was there, from college students like me to families with babies and couples galore. Already psyched to see who else was playing, I wandered away down the street. I ran into quite a few wonderful musicians in the next couple hours.

Johnny Zachman charmed audiences with music and a smile.

Nate, of folk pair Nate & Kate.

Members of the Fall Crikkers.

Not only were the bands wonderful, but the people watching was some of the best I've ever participated in.

My favorite pair of the day- learning to play ukulele with Ukuelelese as a Second Language.

A fan of the Yardvarks.

I even spotted two IC professors out enjoying the day! Yes, apparently they do have lives outside of the classroom. Who knew?

By the end of the day, I was exhausted but happy. Community events like these are some of my favorite parts of living in a town like Ithaca, and Porchfest was an example of a community gathering at its best. I walked away humming one of the many tunes I'd heard that day, already excited for next year.