It's an issue that worries me at times. Some of our Sacramento Song Circle sessions will draw 50 people, and that's a lot of cars to park in a neighborhood. Nobody hosts more than twice a year, so it's not a huge imposition on a neighborhood.

I have a friend who hosts one or two house concerts a month and regularly draws 30 people. His neighbors seem cool about it, but it does make me wonder.

The San Francisco Folk Music Club has had a song circle at Faith Petric's house on Clayton Street, every other week since the 1960's. There is NO PARKING to be found in any neighborhood in San Francisco, so people take public transportation or park blocks away - so Faith's song circle has little impact on neighborhood parking. Parking isn't prohibited in SF - it's just impossible to find.

But music gatherings are a big imposition on a neighborhood, and it behooves us to be considerate. Many people make a point of inviting the neighbors to song circles and concerts, and this helps a lot.

Hint: don't charge the neighbors for house concert admission, and they may even let the audience park in their driveway.

-Joe-