Harsh Saturday Storm Forecast Postpones Beverly Porchfest

BEVERLY, MA — A winter-like storm poised to bring cold rain, harsh, 40+ mph winds, bitter wind-chills, and possibly snow to the North Shore has postponed the Beverly Porchfest to Sunday.

"'Rain or shine' is one thing — a historic winter storm with hurricane winds in May is another," organizers said on Friday. "We’ve been watching the forecast for weeks, hoping as we got closer, things would be more concretely in our favor, but as of this morning, it's looking more definite that this is a safety issue."

• 'Wintry' Storm To Bring Cold Rain, Harsh Wind To MA This Weekend

Organizers said bands and hosts were being notified of a new schedule for Sunday on Friday afternoon.

This year's event is part of the year-long Beverly 400+ Celebration and was set to include more than 60 performances.

The event is set for noon to 8 p.m. in Ryal Side, Downtown and Hale Farm.

Music will ring out from porches across Ryal Side from noon to 4 p.m.

That will be followed by a day of pop-up performances downtown from 4 to 6 p.m., set to include buskers and other activities.

Residents are invited to bring the kids, the dogs and lawn chairs to the Hale Farm area for a headliner performance from 6 to 8 p.m.

Rich Marino, owner of Chianti, will then host the PorchFest Afterparty at the restaurant following the performance.

Participants are encouraged to visit Ryal Side by foot, bike, or carpool, as parking is limited in the Ryal Side neighborhood.