Kick off the Crestone Poetry Festival with an inspiring evening of voices, both new and seasoned!

A celebration of local voices

Winners of annual Carolina Brown Awards Honoring student Poets

A welcome and an offering of poems from Poemfest’s poet-organizers

Don’t miss out on this reading by one of Colorado’s favorite poets and performers.

Catch up with old friends and meet some new ones...
A fun and festive evening full of good words and good cheer.

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. )

Writing for the Change You Want to See: Be a Voice for What You Love! with Judyth Hill; Friday, 1:30-3:30pm; Crestone Charter School

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...

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

An open mic at T-Road Brewery featuring Art Compost and the Word Mechanics from Denver’s legendary Mercury Cafe

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

Bring a brown bag lunch and listen to poets from around the region reading from their new books

Editors and publishers from around the region
discuss and answer questions about the publishing game.

Western Colorado Poet Laureate Wendy Videlock and Friends discuss the power of poetry and community.

4:00 to 4:30: Open Mic
4:30 to 5:30: Music and Performance with Boredom Fighters

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)

Enough words, already. Shake it out and Rip it up w/ Animah.

Get some good eats, buy some books, and jam with jazzman Al Sutherland

Art Goodtimes gathers us all in a closing circle.
Bring some words to share