2026 Crowdfunding Project!

Curbside Serenade is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that activates public spaces in Portland OR with curated performances from street performers! We put on events in city parks, pedestrian plazas and of course on curbsides. All our events are all ages, inclusive and donation based! We serve as an advocate for street musicians and preservation of what makes the Portland community unique.

Heading into our 6th year this includes "Thursday In The Park" Variety Show in Laurelhurst Park hosted by Johnny Franco & His Real Brother Dom. A free weekly variety show with Music, Comedy, Vaudeville acts and even a dog show! This show has grown from humble beginnings to a full on major production that is put on by two Brazilian brothers and a team of volunteers. We especially need your help to pay the performers, Stage Rental, AV Sound Tech Team and Insurance that we need to put on this show that's become a staple of Portland culture.

Other important pieces of our programing is:

Mt Tabor Monday - Live music curated every Monday overlooking the sunset.
Director Park Serenades - Busking Sessions in Downtown Portland for the lunch hour every Wednesday In Collaboration with Downtown Portland Clean And Safe and their Summer In The City Programming!
St Johns Farmers Market - We curate live music for the St Johns Farmers Market on First Saturdays
Kernside Serenade - Live music one a month on Sundays on the Rainbow Road (SE 28th & Ankeny). In collaboration with Rose City Guitar Company & The Kernside Business Association

A couple other programming goals for 2026 include:

A Curbside Serenade Festival!
Youth focused busking showcases

The past few years musicians have been payed from tips only! A goal this year is to supplement that with some budget from grants, sponsorship and most importantly YOU!!

Our crowdfund goal is $10,000 to cover cover essential costs for the upcoming 2026 season.

How Curbside Serenade Was Born

Curbside Serenade started during the Covid shutdown of 2020 when founder Johnny Franco had the idea of performing on people's curbsides. He posted on Instagram that he was providing Curbside Serenades and his DM's exploded with inquiries. He would perform outside on the curbsides of peoples homes, local businesses and socially distantly in the Portland City Parks! It was how he made a living through the rocky months of 2020.

One Thursday two love birds hired Johnny for a Private Serenade in Laurelhurst Park. The Serenade went so well that he decided to come back the following week. And then the week after that… and so on and so forth the weekly show in Laurelhurst Park grew into the Portland staple it is today. A FREE sunset variety show that is unlike any other community experience!
At the beginning of 2021 Franco brought on local musician and entrepreneur David Pollack to expand the idea to include other musicians in Portland. They started an LLC and developed a roster of performers that could be hired out for private serenades. Similar to the conception of the Laurelhurst Park Serenade Series, Pollack got hired for a private Serenade on Mt Tabor overlooking the sunset and developed that experience into what is now Mt Tabor Monday.

In 2024 they disbanded their LLC and turned Curbside Serenade into a 501(c)3 nonprofit. Doing this enabled them a sustainable way of offering their programming with a conscious effort of keeping everything inclusive, all ages and highly accessible to the Portland community! Over the last six years Curbside Serenade has collaborated with with Downtown Clean & Safe, Friends Of Noise, Salt N Straw, Lardo, Alberta Street Last Thursday, St Johns Farmers Market, Nostrana, PBOT/MusicPortland City Sessions and Dan & Louis Oyster Bar.

2026 Curbside Serenade Crowdfunding Campaign

By Curbside Serenade

2026 Curbside Serenade Crowdfunding Campaign

Help Support Our Upcoming 2026 Curbside Serenade Season!

Team Members