CAMBRIDGE — Folk, rock, and salsa music spilled onto the sidewalks of Central and Harvard squares on Sunday as musicians transformed cafes, bars, and storefronts into stages during Cambridge Porchfest.
The second annual festival expanded beyond its inaugural run, bringing more than 140 performers to 50 locations across Cambridge over two days.
After launching last year with more than 80 performers at 25 locations in Cambridgeport, the festival nearly doubled in size this year, joining a growing tradition of Porchfests held in neighboring communities such as Somerville, Brookline, Dorchester, and Jamaica Plain.
At Faro Café, the Two Man Band provided the soundtrack for Sunday coffee as they played everything from the traditional Appalachian folk song “Shady Grove” to Bob Dylan’s 1962 classic “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right.”
Eric Royer played the banjo, guitar, harmonica, and sang, while Joe Kessler played fiddle, drawing applause from the audience after every song.
“We are the Two Man Band, we are two men,” said Kessler with a laugh.
As the band sang the chorus of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” a passerby shouted, “I love this song!”
A few customers were surprised to find live music during their Sunday afternoon coffee stop.
“I forgot today is Porchfest,” said Leigh Ramsey, 27, of Cambridge.
Ramsey stopped by the café with her friend Kaustubh Rastogi, 33, of Cambridge, stumbling upon the band’s performance by accident. The pair had attended the Somerville Porchfest in the past, but this was their first time seeing the Cambridge event.
“That one was a little bit crowded,” Rastogi said of Somerville Porchfest. “But we haven’t walked around here yet, so I don’t think it’s a fair comparison.”
At The Sea Hag on Mount Auburn Street, Ice Lemonade and The Apple Snaps performed original songs, including “Dead or Alive, You’re Coming With Me” and “A Birthday Party at the End of the World.”
The Boston-based indie rock and punk band was represented by Roberto Alaniz, 32, who kept his spirits up despite a small crowd.
“The only thing I could super complain about is the weather, but I know that’s not in their control,” he said with a laugh.
With the sun beating down, the few listeners clustered in the shade. Alaniz said he has performed at multiple porchfest-style events, most recently the Fenway Porchfest.
This was his first time performing at Cambridge Porchfest. He said he hopes even more people will come out in the future.
“Whenever people come in, they’re giving applause, all that jazz,” he said. “It always gets me empowered. It makes me want to keep going.“
At PopUp Bagels on Massachusetts Avenue, Chica Fuego & The Gringos played a mix of American and Latin music, filling the sidewalk with salsa rhythms that had listeners tapping their feet.
A highlight of the performance came when the five-piece band played “Clandestino,” Manu Chao’s 1998 song about immigration.
Positioned next to the entrance to Harvard Station, the performance caught the attention of dozens of passersby, who paused to listen before continuing on with their day.
Lucy Williams, 29, of Dorchester, had just stepped out of Harvard Station when the sound of live music caught his attention.
Instead of continuing on, Williams stopped to watch the performance, joining the crowd gathered along the sidewalk.
“I like the music a lot,” Williams said.
Some music lovers planned ahead to attend the event.
Danielle Bourque, 35, of Dorchester, came to Cambridge Porchfest with friends from the neighborhood. The group had just started making its way through the performances around noon.
“This is my first Cambridge one,” Bourque said. “I’ve gone every year to different ones throughout the city.”
For Alaniz, the size of the crowd mattered less than the chance to play for whoever happened to stop and listen.
“I’m still gonna come here, I’m still gonna give them my all,” he said.
Thai Theodoro can be reached at thai.theorodo@globe.com.