On Sunday, September 20, downtown Highlands will once again come alive with the joyful sounds of Highlands Porchfest, a free community music festival organized by the Highlands-Cashiers Center for Life Enrichment. Now in its sixth year, Porchfest celebrates music, community, and the creative spirit of the Plateau.
From 1:00 to 6:00 P.M., porches, parks, storefronts, balconies, and gathering spaces throughout town will become informal stages, inviting neighbors and visitors to stroll, listen, linger, and enjoy an open-air afternoon of live music. With performances unfolding throughout downtown, the festival offers an easygoing way to experience Highlands while discovering musicians along the way.
Returning venues include Founders Park, Town Square, First Presbyterian Church, Mountain Life Properties, High Dive, Highlands Smokehouse, High Country Wine and Provisions, Park on Main, Stubborn Bull, Stubborn Buddha, and Western Carolina Brew and Wine. New additions for 2026 include Town Hall, Trailborn, the Highlands Historical Society, and the balcony of First Bank, bringing even more variety to the festival route.
As always, the heart of Porchfest is its music. Audiences can expect an energetic mix of genres, from folk, singer-songwriter, country, and Latin pop to rock, jazz, steelpan, oldies, blues, and more. The lineup features familiar favorites and fresh voices. Returning artists include Andrew Wooten, Lindsay Beth Harper, Madison Owenby, Breeze Cable, Jerius Duncan, Zorki, and Ernest Bonilla. Newcomers Lillie Syracuse, Mick Mayer, and 64 & Down will add new sounds, with more performers still to be announced.
The Highlands-Cashiers Center for Life Enrichment is also pleased to recognize The Highlands Chamber of Commerce/Visit Highlands as this year’s Headliner Sponsor. Their support helps keep the festival free and welcomes the entire community to an afternoon of music, connection, and downtown discovery.
A full schedule of musicians and venues will be released ahead of the festival so attendees can plan their routes and choose their must-hear performances. Of course, part of the magic of Porchfest is wandering from one stop to the next and discovering something unexpected: a songwriter on a quiet porch, a jazz set in the sunshine, or a crowd gathered around a band that makes everyone pause and smile.
Porchfest would not be possible without the generosity of local venues, artists, sponsors, and volunteers. Anyone interested in helping is encouraged to contact office@clehighlands.com.
Whether you come for one song or spend the whole afternoon moving through town, Highlands Porchfest 2026 promises a memorable celebration of music, community, and the special sense of place that makes Highlands shine.
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