20 Terrific National Poetry Month Events Online and Beyond
National Poetry Month is here once again! Introduced in 1996, National Poetry Month celebrates and emphasizes a truth that poetry lovers know year-round—that poetry is powerful, vital, and growing. We’ve curated a list of events to help you celebrate, both virtually and in cities across the U.S.
1. Jae Nichelle’s Release of God Themselves
April 6, 6 p.m. CT at The Garden District Book Shop
2727 Prytania St.
New Orleans, LA 70130
2. New York Public Library Poetry in the Park Reading
April 7, 3 p.m. ET at Veterans Park
Park Ave & Bennett St.
Staten Island, NY 10302
3. San Antonio Poet Laureate Ceremony with Nephtali De León
April 10, 6 p.m. CT at Muncipal Plaza Building
114 W. Commerce St.
San Antonio, TX 78205
4. New York Public Library Classic Book Discussion
April 11, 2 p.m. ET
Virtual
5. Woodbury Public Library Poetry Open Mic
April 11, 6 p.m. ET
269 Main St. South
Woodbury, CT 06798
6. Poetry in ASL Event with Raymond Luczak
April 12, 7 p.m. at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
901 G. St. NW
Washington, DC 20001
7. Pittsburgh Poetry Collective Open Mic and Poetry Slam
April 12, 7 p.m. ET at PA Market
108 19th St.
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
8. Slamlandia Poetry Open Mic
April 13, 7 p.m. ET at Literary Arts in The Pittock Block
925 SW Washington St.
Portland, OR 97205
9. Milwaukee Public Library Poetry Open Mic
April 15, 1 p.m. CT
2320 N. Cramer St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
10. Writing About Chicago Art: Ekphrastic Poetry Workshop with Janine Harrison
April 15, 1 p.m. CT at the Vodak-East Side Chicago Public Library
3710 E. 106th St.
Chicago, IL 60617
11. Poetry Sparks Gathering with Minnesota Poet Laureate Gwen Westerman
April 21, 3 p.m. CT at Minnesota Humanities Event Center
987 Ivy Avenue East
Saint Paul, MN 55106
12. Cleveland Poetry Festival Open Mic
April 21, 7 p.m. ET at Bellflower Hall
11427 Bellflower Road
Cleveland, OH 44106
13. Justine Chan’s Should You Lose All Reason Book Launch Party
April 22, 7 p.m. PST at Common AREA Maintenance Art Gallery
2125 2nd Ave.
Seattle, WA 98121
14. Shakespeare’s Birthday Celebration Sonnet Reading
April 23, 4:30 p.m. CT at Pease Park
1100 Kingsbury St.
Austin, TX 78703
15. City of Santa Clara Library Open Mic Night
April 25, 5 p.m. GMT
2635 Homestead Road
Santa Clara, CA 95051
16. Steel City Liner Notes Poetry Slam
April 25, 8 p.m. ET
Virtual
17. WGBH’s Beyond the Page Reading with Porsha Olayiwola, Anjalequa Leynneya Verona Birkett, and Amanda Shea
April 26, 7 p.m. ET
Virtual
18. Academy of American Poets’ Poetry & the Creative Mind Reading
April 26, 7:30 p.m. ET
Virtual
19. Women of Poetry: The Art of Spokenword Event
April 28, 12 p.m. CT at The Black Archives of Mid-America
1722 E. 17th Terrace
Kansas City, MO 64108
20. Athens Cultural Affairs Commission Poetry in the Park Reading with Poet Laureate Jeff Fallis
April 29, 2 p.m. ET at Boulevard Woods Park
298 Barber St.
Athens, GA 30601
Happy National Poetry Month!
