Fridays on the Front Porch tradition evolves

The popular community event Fridays on the Front Porch didn’t always have food trucks lining the streets or families covering the lawn. The event, now considered a Chapel Hill tradition, had humble beginnings.

Bluegrass music drifted out of a fraternity courtyard in 2003 and to the ears of Allal Kartaoui, director of food and beverage at the Carolina Inn. Following the sound, Kartaoui discovered the local band Big Fat Gap.

Comprised of Chapel Hill natives and UNC graduates, the band had drawn a cheering crowd and created a friendly atmosphere.

“After we were done playing, Allal came up to us and asked us if we wanted to play at the Carolina Inn,” lead vocalist Miles Andrews said.

“Back then there wasn’t really a name for it, so I guess we kind of started what came to be known as Friday’s on the Front Porch.”

In the early days, Big Fat Gap played on the lawn every week, slowly gaining popularity and local recognition. Patrons began to associate the band with their performances at the inn.

“At first there weren’t many people, but now it’s a big Carolina tradition,” Andrews said.

This tradition spans from April to October and features an array of musicians who will play a free concert for locals, out-of-towners or anyone passing by.

“We specialize in Carolina bluegrass — which is a special type of bluegrass,” Andrews said. “There’s a lot of bluegrass heritage in Carolina, so it’s definitely a local sound.”

Andrews said Fridays on the Front Porch helped to launch Big Fat Gap.

“It helped us become who we were musically and become part of the community — which is basically what we are — a community. We joke that we are the unofficial band of the North Carolina Tar Heels,” Andrews said.

Meg McGurk, the executive director at Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership, said that the event has drawn people not only to the Carolina Inn but to other tourism stops in Chapel Hill as well.

“It brings quite a few people downtown to enjoy the food and music and is usually just one stop in a person’s evening,” McGurk said. “People will have a sit down dinner before or go to a show after.”

She said the event is marketed as a family-friendly and inclusive experience.

“The lawn is a gorgeous setting that is perfect for families and couples, so we definitely promote that,” McGurk said. “They bring blankets and have picnic dinners. It’s really very sweet.”

This year, the Carolina Inn added food trucks to their event.

The Halal Heaven food truck was parked outside of the concert May 8 for four hours and enjoyed good business, co-owner Sameer Cheema said.

“It was our first time right in the middle of Chapel Hill and was such a wonderful experience,” Cheema said.

While the food trucks and bands may change, the community at the heart of Fridays on the Front Porch remains, McGurk said.

“It combines music and food — two things we love a lot in Chapel Hill.”

arts@dailytarheel.com