Where do you get lunch at a festival that doesn't sell anything? Porchfest LA comes back to Mar Vista and Culver City on Saturday, October 24 and Sunday, October 25, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Every performance is free, and it happens on a neighbor's porch, patio or driveway. The organizers' rules say neither they nor the porch hosts may sell items or beverages. Hosts also don't have to offer restroom access, and the FAQ points people to nearby restaurants and cafés instead.
So the porches provide the music, and the neighborhood's commercial strip provides everything else. For a six-hour wander, that means a good Porchfest day in Mar Vista depends on two things: the side streets where the porches are, and the stretch of Venice Boulevard where you can sit down, refill and use a restroom. As of today, October 4, only the second of those can be mapped.
The map isn't out yet, and that's normal
The official Porchfest LA homepage lists the Westside schedule as "TBD." The Eastside weekend in East Hollywood, Los Feliz and Silver Lake comes first, on October 17 and 18, and its schedule is already posted. The FAQ just says to check back closer to the event for neighborhood maps. The Schedules & Maps page still links to last year's Westside documents, so a quick search can easily turn up a 2025 lineup that looks current.
This is the festival's third year overall and Mar Vista's second. Organizers added a second weekend this year, and the homepage says you're welcome to attend both. That gives Westside residents a free preview, since the Eastside schedule shows how a full Porchfest day is laid out a week before the local one is published.
What 2025 tells you about the shape of the weekend
Mar Vista and Culver City first joined on November 1 and 2, 2025. Here are the Mar Vista streets from last year's published schedule, sorted by day. Street names only; the schedule gave full addresses, and those belong to private homes.
| 2025 day | Mar Vista streets with porches |
|---|---|
| Saturday, Nov. 1 | Colby, Barry, Westminster, Wade, Beethoven, Allaseba, Clarkson, Boise |
| Sunday, Nov. 2 | Indianapolis, Woodbine, Stoner, Grand View, Wade, Wasatch, plus a set at the Mar Vista Farmers Market |
Treat this as a sense of scale, not a guide to 2026. Hosts sign up each year, and the MVCC announcement in July told would-be hosts that spaces were limited. Still, the 2025 layout shows the format. Porches were spread over many residential streets, and Sunday reached into the farmers market on Venice Boulevard. The FAQ describes routes that are only a few blocks long and can be walked. Some can also be biked or driven.
Last year's counts depend on who you ask. Ahead of the event, Mar Vista Voice reported more than 120 performers at 21 porches, gardens and patios. The Argonaut quoted organizer Rob Kadota with 14 porches in Mar Vista and six in Culver City, and more than 60 performers. LAist said more than 120 performers at over 20 Westside homes. The 2026 FAQ only promises "dozens" of performers. Whichever figure you use, it's more than one person can see in a weekend. LAist's tip last year was to bike where you can and pick a handful of porches instead of chasing all of them.
The porch rules that send you back to the boulevard
Each rule below explains why a Porchfest afternoon ends up on Venice Boulevard sooner or later.
- No sales on porches. Hosts and organizers can't sell food, drinks or merchandise. Donations to performers are welcome but optional.
- No guaranteed restrooms. Hosts don't have to open their homes, and the FAQ points attendees to nearby restaurants and cafés.
- Alcohol only by invitation. You can bring a drink onto a host's property only if that host allows it. Open containers aren't allowed on the street or between porches.
- Bring your own seat. Organizers recommend folding chairs and blankets. The schedule page also suggests checking the weather and bringing an umbrella.
- Pets and kids are up to each host. Where pets are allowed, they have to be leashed.
With no beer garden, no food trucks and no sponsor tent, the restaurants a few blocks from the porches fill those roles.
A Venice Boulevard refuel route
All four are on Venice Boulevard. Hours can change before the weekend, so check each one that morning.
- The Arepa Stand, 12906 Venice Blvd. This Venezuelan arepa business grew out of farmers-market pop-ups and soft-opened its first storefront in August 2026, per Yo! Venice. Eater's opening roundup lists hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. That covers most of the festival day, which makes it the best bet on this list for a late lunch.
- Saba Surf and Coffee, 12912 Venice Blvd. It's a few doors down, and the posted hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. That's two hours before the music stops, so go early in the day. The Los Angeles Times reported in July that the café was drawing hundreds of new customers after owner Gal Tshnieder appeared on "Love Island USA." The paper also called the Breakwater latte its signature drink.
- Alana's Coffee Roasters, 12511 Venice Blvd. It's farther east and already part of the local music scene, since the shop has hosted a Mar Vista open mic.
- Cafe Laurent, 12034 Venice Blvd. This is the sit-down option for brunch, and it also takes pickup orders.
The Arepa Stand and Saba are on the same block of Venice Boulevard, at 12906 and 12912, so a group can split up and meet back in one place. Porchfest's FAQ sends people to nearby restaurants and cafés for restrooms, so plan to buy something when you stop.
Sunday has a built-in overlap
The Mar Vista Farmers Market runs Sundays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Grand View and Venice Boulevard, rain or shine, except major holidays. On Sunday, October 25, that means three hours when the market and the porches are both going, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Organizers haven't said whether the market will host a set again this year. The ties go back a while, though. In 2025, Mar Vista Voice listed the farmers market among the event's supporters, along with Orangewood Guitars, the Mar Vista Music Project and Porchfest LA itself. Orangewood's Venice Boulevard showroom is listed as closed right now, so don't plan a stop there. A Sunday plan that starts at the market for breakfast and heads to the side streets once the schedule is posted fits the 2025 pattern.
If you want something to do between sets, MVCC's self-guided art tour map came out in August. You can download it for your phone or print it, and it's listed in the sidebar of the council's website as "Art on Venice Boulevard." The Mar Vista mural is also freshly repainted. Muralist DJ Neff unveiled the refurbished version on May 31 with Council Member Traci Park and MVCC members.
Who brought Porchfest to Mar Vista
The Westside edition began with one musician's trip across town. Mary Beth Abella, a musician and Mar Vista Music Project volunteer, played the 2024 edition in Los Feliz and Silver Lake and brought the idea back to Mar Vista. Rob Kadota, executive director of the Mar Vista Music Project, organized the 2025 Westside edition. He's listed again as the Westside sponsorship contact on the official site. MVCC minutes from August 2025 describe the Music Project as fiscally sponsored by Transformation Arts and set up to encourage local musicians.
Hélène Udy is credited as Porchfest LA's founder and scheduler. The wider format began in Ithaca, New York, in 2007. Mar Vista Voice counted more than 200 Porchfests across the United States and Canada. Here it's volunteers who handle the sound, emceeing, outreach and lawn signs, so the schedule depends on how many neighbors sign up. Spots to perform, host or volunteer are still listed at porchfestla.com/perform, /host and /volunteer.
Our team at Zack Grakal works with Mar Vista homeowners all year, and we keep track of weekends like this one, when the neighborhood's porches and Venice Boulevard work together. If you're thinking about what your own front yard might be worth, start with an instant home valuation. We're glad to talk through it whenever you're ready.
