The Ashmont-Adams neighborhood will come alive this weekend as more than 60 musicians and performers gather on porches, driveways and lawns for Dorchfest 2025. The all-day festival brings five hours of live music and activities to the neighborhood to enjoy for free.
Music lovers can listen to a range of genres from rock, jazz and hip-hop to reggae, electronic and Afro-beats. Beaumont Street and Carruth Street are major byways for music, but performances will pop-up all over the neighborhood.
For the first time this year, Greater Ashmont Main Street (GAMS) has taken over the full organization of the event rather than acting as a co-sponsor. Elle Marrone, executive director of GAMS and Dorchfest chair, says the event helps promote tourism in the neighborhood while providing a meaningful event for locals.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF DORCHFEST
“It puts us on the map, which creates more foot traffic,” said Marrone. “Dorchfest is an opportunity for us to take real pride in our neighborhood, meet our neighbors and get a new taste for what’s going on.”
New to Dorchfest this year is a dedicated family hour between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. Beaumont Street will be blocked off to car traffic all day and families can enjoy non-musical performances like Irish step dancing, MMA demonstrations and skateboarding mini lessons.
Phil and the Flying Leap are performing at Dorchfest for the first time. They’ll be performing mostly original songs at the nexus between folk, jazz and pop. Frontman Phil Berman says the group performs at many other Porchfests around Boston. They’re drawn to the accessibility and community spirit of the outdoor events.
“Art is one of the great change-makers in our society,” said Berman. “I think that making music as a community is one of the ways that we can come together to celebrate our diversity, to celebrate who we are, to promote pride and joy in our communities.”
PHOTO: COURTESY OF DORCHFEST
Due to community donations and sponsorships from local organizations, all Dorchfest artists are paid. This isn’t always possible at community-forward events and Marrone is proud to show the performers how much they are valued.
Roxbury artist Hakim Hakim has performed in Dorchfest every year since its start in 2022. His R&B set will include a performance of his new single “Invited,” as well as a few crowd-pleasing covers.
“When we have a space to express the art that we work so hard to put together, it makes us appreciate not only the work we put in, but that we’re able to deliver it to other people and they’re satisfied,” Hakim said.
Dorchfest will be held from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 31.
Hakim Hakim will perform at 20 Carruth Street at 2:30 p.m. Phil and the Flying Leap are scheduled for 8 Carruth Street at 4 p.m. Festivalgoers can find the full schedule at dorchfest.com.
“Dorchester is so diverse and it really requires walking around and stumbling upon the gems to really love this neighborhood,” said Marrone. “This is what Dorchfest does. It really requires pedestrian-level stumbling, meeting your neighbors, being present and enjoying the show.”
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