
CRESTONE Poetry Festival
OCTOBER 17-20 | 2024
2024 schedule
Health Note:
Recently, several elementary school students at Charter School were diagnosed with Pertussis (Whooping Cough). Those classrooms have been thoroughly cleaned and closed off and the Health Department does not anticipate any issues for those attending Poemfest. Masks will be available if anyone needs to take further precautions.
Thursday, October 17, 6-7:30pm
Opening Night Readings
Kick off the Crestone Poetry Festival with an inspiring evening of voices, both new and seasoned!
Venue: Crestone Charter School, Rainbow Room
Thursday, October 17, 6-6:30pm
Crestone Poets Open Mic
A celebration of local voices
Venue: Crestone Charter School, Rainbow Room
Thursday, October 17, 6:30-6:50pm
Student Readings and Awards
Winners of annual Carolina Brown Awards Honoring student Poets
Venue: Crestone Charter School, Rainbow Room
Thursday, October 17, 6:50-7:00pm
Poemfest Posse
A welcome and an offering of poems from Poemfest’s poet-organizers
Venue: Crestone Charter School, Rainbow Room
Thursday, October 17, 7:00-7:30pm
Featured Reader: Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
Don’t miss out on this reading by one of Colorado’s favorite poets and performers.
Venue: Crestone Charter School, Rainbow Room
Thursday, October 17, 7:45-10:00pm
Welcome Party
Catch up with old friends and meet some new ones...
A fun and festive evening full of good words and good cheer.
Venue: to be announced
Friday, October 18, 9:00-3:30pm
Friday Workshops (registration required)
Risk & Play: Flirting with the Unknown with Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer; Friday, 9:00am-11:30am; Crestone Charter School
SoulCollage with Judith Oakland; Friday, 1:30-3:30pm (venue: 1633 Willow Creek Way, Crestone. Go to the studio next to the house. )
Venues: see above
Friday, October 18, 4:00-5:30pm
Friday Afternoon Open Mic and Reading
Cool beverages and cool poets.
4:00 to 4:30: Open Mic
4:30 to 5:30: Featured Readings by Ben Bentele, Madison Gill-Silva, Patrick Cryptozoa, and more...
Venue: T-Road Brewery
Friday, October 18, 6:00-7:30pm
Evening Reading
Invocation: Wendy Videlock, Poet Laureate of Western Colorado.
Laurie James: A Poetic Reminiscence by the River City Nomads.
Wayfinders: Paired performances by some of the poets who have helped to animate poetry and the poetry community in our region.
• Art Goodtimes and Judyth Hill
• Joe Hutchison and Seth
• Anne MacNaughton and Amalio Madueno
• Kate Kingston and Barbara Ford
Venue: Crestone Charter School, Rainbow Room
Friday, October 18, 8:00-10:00pm
Late Show
An open mic at T-Road Brewery featuring Art Compost and the Word Mechanics from Denver’s legendary Mercury Cafe
Venue: T-Road Brewery
Saturday, October 19, 8:30-11:45am
Saturday Workshops (registration required)
The Poetry of Natural and Artificial Intelligence with
Ben Bentele; Saturday, 8:30-10:00am
Roses are Blue, Violets are Red: Turning a Cliché on its Head with Madison Gill-Silva; Saturday, 8:30-10:00am
Portolano: A film and conversation about the life and work of Jack Mueller with Danny Rosen; Saturday, 10:15-11:45am
Writing the Six to Eight-Room Poem with Julie Cummings; Saturday, 10:15 -11:45am
FOOD:
Charter School Students and Family Members will be providing breakfast burritos and coffee at the School on Saturday and Sunday morning.
Saturday morning:
8-10:30 (breakfast burritos, egg casserole, pastries and coffee). Please support them as they are raising money for school expeditions.
Venue: Crestone Charter School
Saturday, October 19, 12:00-1:15pm
Brown Bag Reading
Bring a brown bag lunch and listen to poets from around the region reading from their new books
Venue: to be announced
Saturday, October 19, 1:30- 2:30pm
Publishers Roundtable
Editors and publishers from around the region
discuss and answer questions about the publishing game.
Venue: Crestone Charter School, Rainbow Room
Saturday, October 19, 2:45-3:45pm
Wise to the West
Western Colorado Poet Laureate Wendy Videlock and Friends discuss the power of poetry and community.
Venue: Crestone Charter School, Rainbow Room
Saturday, October 19, 4:00-5:30pm
Saturday Afternoon Open Mic and Performance
4:00 to 4:30: Open Mic
4:30 to 5:30: Music and Performance with Boredom Fighters
Venue: T-Road Brewery
Saturday, October 19, 6:00-7:30pm
Evening Reading
Wayfinders: William Pit Root and Pam Uschuk with Jesse Tsinajinnie Maloney on electric guitar
Words Along the Way: Crisosto Apache, Aaron Abeyta, Juliana Aragon Fatula, Writes Mesa Gang (Art Goodtimes, Elle
Metrick, and Daiva Cheshonis)
Venue: Crestone Charter School, Rainbow Room
Saturday, October 19, 8:00-10:00pm
Late Show
Enough words, already. Shake it out and Rip it up w/ Animah.
Venue: T-Road Brewery
Sunday, October 20, 9:00-10:30am
Breakfast, Books, and Jazz
Get some good eats, buy some books, and jam with jazzman Al Sutherland
FOOD:
Charter School Students and Family Members will be providing breakfast burritos and coffee at the School on Saturday and Sunday morning.
Sunday morning:
8:30-10:30 (breakfast burritos, egg casserole, pastries and coffee)
Please support them as they are raising money for school expeditions.
Venue: Crestone Charter School, Rainbow Room
Sunday, October 20, 10:30am-12:30pm
Talking Gourd Circle
Art Goodtimes gathers us all in a closing circle.
Bring some words to share
Venue: Crestone Charter School, Rainbow Room