Maplewood Porchfest
Accessibility and Disability Inclusion
Sunday Sept 6, 2026 1:00pm to 5:00pm
(rain date Monday, Sept. 7)
For a fourth year at Maplewood Porchfest, TWB has taken steps to increase the accessibility of the event through:
Further details about each of these supports are below.
At Together We Bloom, we are committed to creating a more equitable and accessible community for individuals with disabilities. We believe the community is better for us all when all are included. A special thanks to Maplewood Porchfest Committee for their support. For more information about the festival visit: www.maplewoodporchfest.com
Sign up to bake or buy for our Porchfest bakesale fundraiser HERE!
Sensory Information and Supports
Porchfest is an outdoor music festival where bands and performers play up on the front porches of houses throughout the Hilton neighborhood. A schedule of performers and houses can be found at maplewoodporchfest.com to find the type of music you like.
The festival can sometimes have large crowds, though there is ample space to spread out. Some houses will have bigger crowds and others much smaller.
Together We Bloom is hosting a Community Tent at 182 Franklin Ave that will have chairs, shade, and a sprinkler available to cool down. We will also have our sensory access kits, ear plugs to give out, fidgets and ear defenders to borrow.
If you need a break from the music and crowds, you can visit the sensory quiet room at St Joseph's Church 767 Prospect St. See below for more information.
TWB's Community Tent at 182 Franklin
Where to find the sensory-friendly spaces?
Click image to expand map
PDF of map
Sensory-Friendly Quiet Room
To increase the accessibility of Porchfest for our neurodivergent and disabled neighbors, the sensory-friendly quiet room will be open and available inside St. Joseph's Church, 767 Prospect Street, Maplewood.
A sensory-friendly quiet room is a designated space designed to provide a calming and regulating environment for children and adults with sensory differences or disabilities who may benefit from a break from the music and activity of Porchfest. Inside there is a glider, bean bag, low lighting, and a variety of sensory regulation tools.
Enter the main doors of the church, proceed through the second set of double doors and turn left. The sensory room is in the back corner of the church. There is a ramp to access the building.
This room is for adults and children to use. Children must be accompanied by a caregiver.
Thank you to St. Joseph's Church for opening up their sensory-friendly space for the community! Check out the coverage on AP News on this amazing sensory space, designed by TWB!
Porchfest Social Story
Social Story for
Kids
Download PDF
(screen reader accessible)
(includes alt text on images)
Social Stories are first-person narratives written to introduce a new, unexpected, or challenging situation with simple language and pictures. They help the reader know what to expect and provide options for support.
Anyone can benefit from learning about situations ahead of time but social stories are often particularly helpful for neurodivergent individuals including Autistic people or people with anxiety.
Social stories should be used as a tool to empower and support inclusion and access, not to force compliance with social norms. More suggestions for using this tool are listed at the end of the document.
Social Story for Adults/Adolescents
Download PDF
(screen reader accessible)
Porchfest Communication Board
Some individuals with intellectual, communication, or developmental disabilities benefit from Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) to support their language comprehension and expression, such as communication boards, speech-generating devices, or sign language.
Communication partners can model and use this Porchfest communication board by pointing to the pictures on as you read the social story and make comments during Porchfest. A child should never be required to point to the board, communication partners can model and provide opportunity.
Click image to view online
Click to download PDF
Physical Accessibility Information
Porchfest takes place in the Hilton neighborhood of Maplewood. There are sidewalks throughout the neighborhood with curb cuts at nearly every intersection. Some streets are closed for pedestrians on the day of the festival.
The neighborhood is relatively flat, with a slight grade on the North to South streets off of Springfield ave and in the back of DeHart Park.
Chairs in the shade are available at the Together We Bloom community tent at 182 Franklin Ave Maplewood.
Dehart Community Center in the park has accessible bathrooms in an accessible building including ramp to the entrance and door openers.
Accessible Parking:
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Street parking is available in and around the Hilton neighborhood.
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Free parking lots are on Springfield Ave with accessible parking spaces (orange P on map).
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There is also accessible parking in front of DeHart community Center on Burnet Ave.
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The southernmost part, also called the Lighteningbrook section typically has the smallest crowds and is most likely to have street parking nearby to the music.
Click image to expand map
Click to download
PDF of map
See you at Porchfest!
Come visit our bake sale fundraiser and community tent at 182 Franklin Ave, Maplewood
All proceeds of the bake sale go to Together We Bloom to support future inclusivity initiatives.