Tuesday, October 20, 2026 · 6:00 – 8:30 PM

For one evening in October, The Front Porch becomes a doorway to Rwanda.

This is our first fundraiser. In the year since we opened, this building has hosted free concerts, speakers, mental health talks, animals from the Memphis Zoo, ballet, singing groups, and served more coffee from Second Helpings Cafe than anyone thought to count. All of it runs on support from people who believe Memphis needs a place like this. On October 20, we are asking for that support directly — and putting on the best night we know how to give you in return.

An Original Production, Made in Rwanda and Memphis

The evening centers on a new work performed by Mashariki, a Rwandan theater company, given to us as an in-kind gift by Hattiloo Theatre.

Mashariki is Swahili for east. The word travels back to the Arabic for sunrise — the direction the light comes from. For a company bringing Rwandan stories to a Memphis stage, it is a good name.

Through music, dance, and oral storytelling, the production traces the heartbeat of Rwanda — from bustling village gatherings and ceremonial celebrations to the intimate family stories handed from one generation to the next. It was created in collaboration between artists from Rwanda and artists from Memphis, which is the part we find hardest to stop talking about. Two cities that carry their history in song and story, working out what that sounds like together.

You will not see this production anywhere else.

Rwandan Food, Memphis Comfort, and Mocktails

Guests will sample authentic Rwandan dishes alongside familiar favorites, with creative mocktails served throughout the evening.

Proudly Alcohol-Free

The Front Porch is an alcohol-free venue, and on a night like this we consider it a feature rather than a footnote. In place of a bar there is a mocktail menu built for the evening, so nobody is left holding a plastic cup of water while everyone else drinks something interesting.

That makes it an easy yes if you are driving, not drinking, or would simply rather the evening be about what is happening on stage. Families are welcome.

Come with friends, come with colleagues, come on your own and sit next to someone you have not met. All of those work.

Tickets

Seating is genuinely limited — this is an intimate room, not an arena.

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The Auction and Fund-a-Need

Our online auction and Fund-a-Need appeals open Monday, October 6 and close Tuesday, October 20 at 7:00 PM, midway through the evening.

You do not have to be in the room to bid. If a Tuesday evening does not work for you, the auction is a way to be part of the night from wherever you are.

Sponsorship

These sponsorships are for this one evening only. They are separate from our year-round giving levels, which run from any amount up to a $10,000 Presenting Sponsorship of a whole series — those are on the donate page and carry benefits that last all year.

Sponsorships carry Kinyarwanda names, because the words say what we mean better than the English does.

To discuss sponsorship, contact Melissa Todd at melissa@tfpmemphis.org.

Where Your Money Goes

Every dollar raised goes directly to The Front Porch’s work in Memphis. It keeps the building running, funds the free community events we host throughout the year, and sustains a space where everyone who walks in feels they belong.

Our goal for the evening is $30,000.

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