Walton Porchfest 2025 is taking place on Saturday, June 7th, 11am-4pm, across Walton, presented by Music on the Delaware and the Walton Theatre. The FREE event will feature musicians performing on porches and at venues throughout town, a local artisan market in Veterans Plaza, and Walton eateries and small shops open (some with specials!) for food and shopping.

Porchfest will be immediately followed by the free John Tweedie Memorial Concert featuring Darcy Gibson and Friends performing "Harmonies of the Beatles," and stick around until 7pm to enjoy a feature film at the Walton Theatre (ticket purchase required).

Maps will be provided to show who is playing where and when, and attendees will walk (or run, or bike, or drive…) to the different venues to listen to the variety of music being played. Don’t forget to bring a lawn chair or blanket and your whole family!

Community involvement is critical - we need you! Sign up to be a musician, venue, artisan, or volunteer or become a sponsor below.

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Promo from April's Coffeehouse Concert

The Walton Porchfest committee invites the community to attend the John Tweedie Memorial Concert, immediately following Porchfest on Saturday, June 7, 2025, 4pm-6pm, at Veterans Plaza. The free concert will feature “Harmonies of the Beatles,” performed by Darcy Gibson, Jackie Gibson, and Chris Cleveland. The trio recently performed at the April 2025 Coffeehouse at the Walton Theatre.

Darcy Gibson has brought most of the Beatles’ catalog to life on stage in one form or another over the years. As the leader of bands like Sgt. Pepper’s Phony Hearts Club Band and the Justice League he performed most of the Beatles' albums in full detail, employing an array of talented friends and family to round out the band and orchestra. Now he is joined by two veterans of the aforementioned groups to present stripped-down and intimate arrangements of Beatles' songs that will focus on the incredible harmonies they created throughout their entire career. Join Darcy, Jackie Gibson and Chris Cleveland for an evening of fun and beautiful songs.

Darcy Gibson has been part of the local music scene for the last couple decades. He is currently performing original music with his two brothers in the band Mr. Paperback. For nearly twenty years he helped lead the SUNY Oneonta Frank Zappa Ensemble the Mothers of Intention, while concurrently leading and performing in the Justice League and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Darcy was a member of many other bands over the years, including The Stamp Collectors, the Sultans, Steerhead/Mystical Steerhead Faction, Whitestone, Eclipse and Purloin, and he performed more informally with many others. He was also the musical director of the Oneonta Theatre Stage Players and has been involved with local theatre in the Oneonta area for years.

Jackie Gibson teaches orchestra and modern band at Delaware Academy Central School, where she has taught for nearly ten years. Prior to that she taught general music and chorus at Schenevus Central School. She performed for years as a violinist with the Little Delaware Youth Ensemble and then as an adult led the LDYE prep-orchestra. Jackie graduated from the Crane School of Music (SUNY Potsdam) where she studied voice and violin. She has been a member of the Justice League, singing and performing on multiple instruments including piano, keyboards, violin, mandolin, French horn and percussion. She has also been involved with school musicals and plays, both at Schenevus and at DA.

Chris Cleveland is the Administrator of Otsego Christian Academy. His family owns and operates the Eighth Note music store, where Chris also works as a piano tuner/technician. Chris and his wife Anita were the leaders of Whitestone, a Christian group which served as the worship team at Community Gospel Church and performed locally for about twenty years. Chris performed lead and support vocals, guitar and drums in Whitestone. Chris was also a member of Sgt. Pepper’s Phony Hearts Club Band, playing guitar and providing lead and support vocals. He was also an occasional member of the always-changing Justice League, providing vocals, guitar, percussion and sound effects.

John Tweedie (left) at a coffeehouse concert.

John Tweedie (center, rear) at a coffeehouse concert.

The concert at the conclusion of Porchfest on June 7, 2025, 4pm-6pm, is in memory of longtime Walton resident and music lover, John Tweedie. John owned and ran the family lumber yard and building supply business on West Street in Walton for many years. After he retired and sold the property he remained very active in the community. John loved tennis and regularly played with longtime friends. When he wasn’t playing, he was often seen walking for exercise all over the village.

John loved music and probably never missed any of Music on the Delaware concerts or coffeehouses. An interesting music connection was that his nephew, Dave Tweedie, from Ocracoke Island in North Carolina, had a band, Molasses Creek, that appeared several times on our Walton stage, something that made John very proud.

When John passed away, his family asked that donations be made in his name to Music on the Delaware. It seemed only appropriate that those funds be used to bring more music to Walton in his name. Please enjoy Porchfest and the closing concert.

John Tweedie (right) speaking to MOD Board Member, Jim Haggerty.