By Robert M. Sarwark
Break out the champagne! This issue of The Porch Press officially marks forty years of our existence. And by “our,” I truly mean it – if you’re reading this, you are who this newspaper is for, however you may engage with us. Thank you for being a part of our shared community.
To celebrate such a momentous occasion, we hereby cordially invite you and the entire Porch Press community to toast four decades of hyperlocal news on Saturday, October 24, 2026.
Are you ready to rock with us? “40 Years on the Porch” will feature food, live entertainment and a prize raffle. The paper’s current and former readers, volunteers, advertisers, and contributors are all invited to join The Porch Press‘ board of directors and staff from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Ormewood Church in Ormewood Park (1071 Delaware Avenue). Expect an evening of lively conversation and reminiscence with Porch Pressmemorabilia on display.
The Porch Press, which published its first issue in August 1986, emerged from a collaborative effort among the East Atlanta Community Association (EACA), South Atlantans for Neighborhood Development (SAND), and the Association to Revive Grant Park, known today as the Grant Park Neighborhood Association (GPNA). What began as an effort to consolidate three separate neighborhood papers—The Fish Wrapper,The Sand Paper, and The Park Bench, respectively—has grown into a publication distributed monthly to more than 6,000 residences and businesses across Benteen Park, Boulevard Heights, Custer McDonough-Guice, East Atlanta, Glenwood Park, Grant Park, North Ormewood Park, Ormewood Park, and Woodland Hills.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we rely on advertising revenue, individual donations, and grants to cover roughly $50,000 in annual operating costs, including printing and postage for 6,500 copies each month. Approximately 6,000 of those are mailed directly and at no cost to our subscribers. Proceeds from “40 Years on the Porch” will support continued free distribution to subscribers across Atlanta’s NPU-W.
Tickets are $40, one dollar for each year The Porch Press has served the community, and include admission, food, entertainment, and five raffle tickets. Purchase your tickets (they are limited!) via Eventbrite now: http://bit.ly/4eNjftq (short link) or www.eventbrite.com/e/the-porch-press-40th-anniversary-tickets-1992764204379 (long link) – or search “The Porch Press” on Eventbrite.com. You may also scan the QR code that accompanies this article on any standard smartphone. Need to pay some other way? Just email me at treasurer@theporchpress.com.
Thank you for supporting The Porch Press and we hope to see you on October 24!
