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Siggy’s Musical Garden, a local non-profit, aims to spread joy through free community music and art.

“My Grandmother, Sigrid Johnson, was the inspiration behind Siggy’s Musical Garden,” explains Executive Director Cheri Finkbeiner. “Seeing the impact Sig made on those around her and seeing how impactful music was to her as she neared the end of her life inspired Sarah Jane Hale and me to found this organization. We wanted to create opportunities for more people to have access to live music.”  

Since hosting its first musical performance in 2020, Siggy’s Musical Garden has reached more than 2,500 people through 40-plus performances. The non-profit continues to bring free live music to the local community through Superior Porchfest and Make Music Day.  

Superior Porchfest This summer, Superior Porchfest neighborhood events are held every other Thursday from 6 p.m. -8 p.m., beginning June 1 until September 7. Each Thursday night event occurs in a specific Superior neighborhood with three to four musical acts that play on various porches or front lawns of residential homes.

“We try to book these three to four houses within walking distance of each other, so if people want to walk around to check out some or all of the musical acts, they can,” board member, Scott Lillo tells.  

These events, free and open to the public, are family-friendly and have a variety of activities, including chalk for sidewalk art, hula-hoops, bubbles and face painting. There is also a food truck and port-a-potties available. Attendees bring lawn chairs or blankets and some bring food and drinks. Marvin Pomeroy of Superior frequently attends the performances.

“I like Superior Porchfest because of the true altruistic nature of the events, no ticket fees, no venue to support,” he says. “So, art for the sake of art.” Superior Porchfest will take place in the Superior neighborhoods of Billings Park, Central Park, East End, North End, South End, and the Village of Superior.

There will also be a special night where musical duo Andy Hauswirth and Robynn Stark will perform at Barker’s Island on the S.S. Meteor. The bookends of the eight summer events are a Fireside Jam at Girl Scout Point in Billings Park.

Musical Acts and Sponsorships

An open call is posted on the Superior Porchfest website and Facebook page at the beginning of the year to obtain local musicians. Musicians and residential homes sign up and are then paired with one another.   There is a wide variety of musical styles including rock, country, jazz and acoustic.

“It’s been great to see how this event has grown and changed from the first year of mostly acoustic acts to now having five or six-piece bands,” Lillo says. Some people choose to attend because of the location of the event, while others attend to see a specific musical group like The Mackie Brothers, New Salty Dog, and Similar Dogs.  

Sponsoring a neighborhood or a porch brings a unique marketing opportunity for local businesses. These sponsorships help offset fees for musicians, port-a-potties and supplies. In return, the sponsor receives media attention on the website and social media pages and a sign at the event.

“We also encourage businesses to join us on event days,” Finkbeiner says. “In the past, businesses have set up face painting booths, provided free can koozies with both their logo and Superior Porchfest logos, and given out animal crackers in logoed boxes.”

The City of Superior and Duluth Superior Community Foundation are both top-tier level sponsors, with Mayor Jim Paine recognizing the importance of the mission.

“Music belongs in neighborhoods. Porchfest brings music out of traditional venues and brings life into every neighborhood in our city,” he shares. “Since they first approached me with the idea for this unique music event, Siggy’s Musical Garden inspired me with their genius, vision and community spirit. I’m grateful that so many homeowners willingly turned their porches and decks into stages and their yards and driveways into galleries. This summer, I hope to catch every single act at every single home. I hope last year’s huge crowds will only grow.”

Creating Community

Part of the mission of Siggy’s Musical Garden is to bring music to all.

“Music is unifying. We have so many talented musicians and artists in this region,” Finkbeiner shares. “Often, there is a barrier to entry for people in our community to see them perform, like transportation, admission costs, or age restrictions. Our goal is to bring music to people in our community, whether in the neighborhoods, assisted living facilities, or youth programs.”

Superior Porchfest unites neighbors and the greater community together while creating a welcoming atmosphere for people to meet one another. “These are real connectivity events,” Pomeroy says. “Neighbors, friends, fans, artists all mixing their experiences into a wonderful evening of fun.”

Porch host Cathy Casper agrees. “In a community neighborhood, Porchfest gets people out to reconnect after the COVID years,” she shares, “meeting people with a positive interest and a sense of pride and ownership in Superior.”

Lillo also sees the importance of bringing people together. “Nowadays, neighbors don’t really know one another anymore. They may wave at each other, but they don't know each other's names,” he expresses. “There are people coming to every event, no matter where they live or what neighborhood.”  

The events also highlight the importance of arts in a community. “Many studies show that having the arts and music are important to building a better and stronger community,” Lillo says. “Studies also show that the arts and music have a positive economic impact on the community.” Casper agrees, “Music is such a wonderful bond for people, it will transport you. My mother had Alzheimer's but music was a great comfort for her.”  

Make Music Day Superior A

nother event Siggy’s Musical Garden brings to the community is Make Music Day on June 21. “Make Music Day is an international celebration of music. Held each year on the summer solstice, this celebration is a day when everyone of every age and ability is encouraged to step outside and participate in music,” Finkbeiner explains. “Siggy’s Musical Garden joined the Make Music Alliance for the first time last year. Superior Porchfest is not always able to place all musician applicants and porch host applicants at one of our events and Make Music Day gives them the opportunity to still take part in music.”  

Lillo says the best part of Make Music Day is that it is open to all musical levels and abilities. “We want to encourage people to play music. The five-year-old who just started playing the recorder or their plastic toy ukulele to the professional musicians who play five nights a week and everyone in between these concepts and skill levels.”  

On Make Music Day the number of venues and performances is unlimited, with last year hosting 18 performances. Hosts can be residential homes, local businesses and city parks. Musical acts begin at 11 a.m. and go until 9 p.m., each performing an hour-long set. Residential homes and businesses can host musicians for a specific allotted time. To sign up and for a list of musical acts, times, and locations, visit www.makemusicday.org/superior.  

Future Endeavors

In the years to come, Siggy’s Musical Garden will continue to host Superior Porchfest and Make Music Day and expand its outreach program.

“Bringing music to people who are unable to get out to enjoy music has always been an important part of Siggy's Musical Garden,” Finkbeiner shares. “We plan on going to assisted living facilities, nursing homes and other places. These organizations and facilities just need to contact Siggy’s Musical Garden and we would be happy to make these arrangements and place some musicians at their places.”

Siggy's Musical Garden helps to create a strong sense of community in Superior. Whether you're a lifelong resident or coming from another town, these events offer a fantastic way to enjoy a summer night with great music while connecting with neighbors. Lillo says, “We’re building a community together one song at a time.” For more information, visit siggysmusicalgarden.org, superiorporchfest.org/ 

Molly Milroy is a Duluth-based freelance writer and is a board member of Siggy’s Musical Garden.