It's National Poetry Month's 30th Anniversary. Find a Poetry Festival and Celebrate!
by Nancy Sackheim
National Poetry Month begins Wednesday, April 1 and is considered the largest literary event in the world, bringing together an extraordinarily diverse group of people to celebrate poetry, many of whom create workshops, critique circles, and writing accountability buddies for small groups, as well as open mics, poetry slams, and, festivals for larger communities.
Poetry festivals or gatherings, as they are often called, are held throughout the year. Poetry festivals range from small local events to national festivals that welcome poets from all 50 states. Poetry festivals can be annual, but many are biennial or even triennial. The two oldest poetry gatherings/festivals, as well as the youngest poetry festival are all built around a specific theme and held annually.
The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, held annually in Elko, Nevada, is the oldest continuous national poetry gathering in the U.S. It began in 1985 and celebrates the cowboy tradition of poetry, music, and storytelling. The Gathering attracts a diverse audience, including cowboys, ranchers, and urbanites interested in the American West's creative spirit.
The 42nd National Cowboy Poetry Gathering will be held is Elko, Nevada January 25-30, 2027. It’s a mid-winter, week-long multigenerational, merrymaking event full of ranch-y folk and ranch-y food, art, gear, film, discussions, dance, music, verse, and more. It is the place to talk cowboy poetry. And, it’s a darn good time for all!
The FisherPoets Gathering, a celebration of the commercial fishing industry in poetry, prose and song celebrated its 28th year this past February. Originally conceived as a modest cultural reunion for far-flung friends in the commercial fishing fleet, the FisherPoets Gathering, held in Astoria, Oregon, now attracts nearly a hundred poets, songwriters and storytellers from both the west and east coasts’ commercial fishing communities.
While the dates for the 2027 Festival have not yet been announced, they are likely to be Friday, February 26th – Sunday, February 28, since this Gathering is always held the last weekend in February. The poets gather in Astoria’s pubs, restaurants and galleries to read for each other and for the hundreds of fisherpoetry fans who come to hear the authentic, creative voices of deckhands and skippers, cannery workers and shipwrights, young greenhorns and old timers, strong women and good-looking men.
The National Baseball Poetry Festival is a celebration of poetry (and other short written and spoken-word pieces) whose themes focus on Baseball—our National Pastime! held on May 7-10 this year, the Festival punctuates National Poetry Month, when the nation pays homage to the world’s oldest and, arguably, most powerful art form! Furthermore, the Festival’s contests aim both to connect us all, and serve as a lifeline for the love and appreciation of the Fine Arts and Humanities!
Over the course of four days, the 2026 Festival welcomes Baseball lovers of all ages, and features Baseball Poets young and old… budding and professional! Festival highlights include two WooSox games, a Polar Park tour, a Sunset Catch on the Field for all (bring your glove!), Generative Workshops, a Poets-to-Publishers Panel, a Poet-to-Poet Reading, a Youth Reading at the ballpark, and an Open-Mic Night in Worcester’s famed Canal District.
The themes of these three festivals could not be more diverse, but the uniting theme is poetry and the love of poetry. Experience one or experience all three!
