And an event on tap in a couple weeks aims to make that a little bit easier.

The third edition of Front Porch Days is set for Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 12 and Aug. 13.

“Lots of people are getting involved on porches, lawns, driveways, closing off streets, having music and picnics,” Gary Lester, one of the event’s organizers said.

“We encourage people to sit on their porches and welcome others, walk around the block to meet neighbors,” he said.

Joe Whipp, Doug Hearn and Pat Evans updating lawn signs in advance of next month’s Front Porch Days.

Some have asked how people are supposed to sit on their porch and walk the block at the same time.

“Easy,” Lester said, “do one for a while then do the other.”

While 2023 might mark the third year of the event, the idea was decades in the making.

“Thirty-some years ago a bunch of us went to a folk festival in West Virginia. At a Friday night concert, a group did a song about front porches and what used to be learned there,” Lester said. “Then the group leader got into a monologue about how we don’t use front porches anymore. People put their decks on the back of the house, the swing set, the pool, the BBQ are all out back. He went on to say we ought to use out front porches to get to know our neighbors.”

That performer called for a National Front Porch Day.

“We all looked at each other and thought, “That could work in Warren.”

They approached the performer to ask about the idea. It turns out the performer came up with it on the spot.

“The topic came up several times over the decades but we never did anything,” Lester said. “Enter Doug Hearn. He had a wonderful front porch experience when the Smith’s invited him to sit and chat on their Fourth Ave. porch. He was a relative newcomer to town and was so touched by the experience that he wrote a letter to the editor about it.

“When I saw it, I contacted him and we got members of the old group together, added Joe Whipp and Pat Evans to the steering committee, and decided to give it a try.”

The organic conversation that comes with Front Porch Days will be accompanied by a community sing along on Sunday, Aug. 13 at 2 p.m. That’ll be held at the DeFrees Pavilion at Betts Park.

“This is really the only organized part of the event,” Lester said.