Highlands Porchfest

Written By: Matt Salerno, CLE Summer Programs and Events Assistant | Issue: July 2024

Madison Owenby

Highlands Porchfest is the Plateau’s premier community music festival.

Throughout 14 different locations, Highlands hosts over 40 musicians from every genre. The festival is free to attend and attracts musicians and visitors from all over the country. One of the artists returning to Porchfest this year is Madison Owenby.

Before the 2023 Highlands Porchfest, Madison had only performed at open-mic nights. Her sound is heavily influenced by her love of jazz but she plays to her audience. Bouncing between genres ensures that “everyone has something they can sing along to.”

As she settled into the Fern of Highlands Boutique and set up her equipment, wrestling with pre-performance excitement and nerves, the unthinkable happened. She tore her pants. Performing in a boutique had its perks and after a quick wardrobe change, Madison wowed an audience with covers of some of her favorite artists, from Florence and the Machine to Amy Winehouse.

Growing up in Savannah, Georgia, Madison’s mom nurtured her love for music. She participated in the band and marching band where she played the baritone and took piano lessons. While driving in the car she and her mom would listen to Nora Roberts over the radio, singing along. She moved to the mountains of North Carolina for a fresh start and began attending Western Carolina University to study Business Administration and Law. She goes to school online while waiting tables to pay her own way.

Her work ethic is evident, as she even worked the morning of her performance at Lazy Hiker’s Outdoor Music Jam. She opened for Grizzly Mammoth and the band was so impressed with her that they offered her a spot singing with them in the future.

Madison has her heights set high as her dream would be to move to Nashville and play music full-time. She humbly admits that just playing the occasional gig would keep her happy but would also enjoy using her business degree to work in the music industry.

For now, Madison is working hard to finish her degree while her music career is picking up speed. She is performing more gigs in the lead-up to her return to this year’s 2024 Highlands Porchfest. It is clear she has a love of performing but she is also excited to “see all the musicians. It was just fun walking around Highlands and seeing everyone play and all the different types of music.”

The 2024 Highlands Porchfest is organized by the Highlands-Cashiers Center for Life Enrichment and is free to attend and will be held on Sunday, September 15, from 1:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. in downtown Highlands.

For more information or to learn about sponsorship opportunities please visit highlandsporchfest.com, call (828) 526-8811, or visit the CLE’s office anytime Monday through Friday, 9:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M.