Poets in the Park 2017

Saturday, 15 July 2017, 11:00 am to 6:00 pm — FREE!

Anderson Park | 7802 168th Ave NE | Redmond, Washington

Featuring Washington State Poet Laureate Tod Marshall and many other guests!

Poets in the Park in 2017 celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Redmond Association of Spokenword—and yes, we'll have free cake and ice cream! Readings for 2017 will once again feature groups and organizations, with 25-minute reading slots. We also have 55-minute workshops, our book fair, vendors, open-mic readings, and more—and it’s all free! Scroll down to see the schedule. If you have questions, or anything to propose, please contact Michael Dylan Welch.

Enjoy poetry readings and performances on our Café and Picnic Shelter stages, workshops in our workshop cabin, and activities, installations, and vendors throughout the park, plus our poetry book fair (coordinated by Brick and Mortar Bookstore, with no commission taken)—all FREE! Bring your own lunch to enjoy on the lawn or in our café area. Poetry putt-putt (mini-golf), chalk poetry, hula hoops, Haiku on Sticks, art/craft activities for kids and adults (sponsored by VALA Art Center and Jim Teeters), RASP poetry anthology poems on sticks, and more! And great summer weather too!

See the Facebook invite. Tweet to #poetsinthepark.

See below for the schedule, individual and group participants, book fair information, and more.

Sponsored by the Redmond Arts & Culture Commission and the Redmond Association of Spokenword, directed by Michael Dylan Welch. Additional thanks to Dan Ullom and all our volunteers.

Poets in the Park 2016 Photos

See what Poets in the Park was like! See an album of photos, by Michael Dylan Welch, are from Saturday, 25 June 2016, 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. See also 2014 photos, 2015 photos, 2016 photos and 2017 photos.

Location/Parking

Anderson Park is located at 7802 168th Avenue NE in Redmond, Washington—see map. You’ll find plenty of free street parking (come early to park closer to the event). You can also park in the church parking lot immediately to the east of the park (yes, this is okay). Additional parking available at the Old Redmond Schoolhouse Community Center, about two blocks away at 16600 NE 80th Street in Redmond.

Construction Note: The south end of 168th Avenue NE, next to Anderson Park, is closed for construction. This slightly reduces the number of parking spaces available, and means you need to enter 168th Avenue (if you park there) from the north. Other construction activities are taking place along Redmond Way, but should have little effect on Poets in the Park, but consider giving yourself an extra five minutes in case of any last-minute construction changes or navigation challenges. Also note that westbound State Route 520 (over the floating bridge) will be closed on July 15 (eastbound is still open).

Book Fair

Our gratitude to Dan Ullom of Redmond’s new Brick and Mortar Books for facilitating our no-commission book fair, in the Adair cabin. Just bring your poetry-related publications to sell at the book fair, fill out the book fair inventory form (view or download PDF file—please do this before Saturday if you can), and enjoy the festival! Put a price list next to your publications, or mark each one with a price. Check in at the end of the day to pick up unsold books. You can purchase publications with cash, check, or credit card.

2017 Schedule

Don’t miss a moment of our many readings and performances at our Café and Picnic stages, and the Fullard Cabin. Come early to catch it all! Bring your own lunch. All sessions end five minutes before the next session. All events and activities are free.

Saturday, 15 July 2017, 11:00 am to 6:00 pm

Activities/Installations

Haiku on Sticks (view poems by Haiku Northwest members)

Poetry Putt-Putt (mini golf)

Poetry on Sticks (view poems from the RASP poetry anthology, Here, There, and Everywhere)

Chalk Art (by Pamela Denchfield)

Art Activities (sponsored by VALA Art Center)

My Goldfish Stole the Moon: Poetry Fun (sponsored by Jim Teeters, with book-making craft activities for kids)

Melanie Reed, speed poet

Groups, Organizations, Vendors, and Sponsors

ArtsWA

Band of Poets

Black Heron Press

Brick and Mortar Books

Cave Moon Press

Chin Music Press

City of Redmond

Clover: A Literary Rag

4Culture

Go To Golf

Haiku Northwest

Headmistress Press

Humanities Washington

Jack Straw Writers

Raven Chronicles

Redmond Arts & Culture Commission

Redmond Association of Spokenword

Redmond Historical Society

Rose Alley Press

Striped Water Poets

VALA Art Center

and more!

Individuals (scheduled performers)

History

Read about Poets in the Park 2014, Poets in the Park 2015, and Poets in the Park 2016—photos, schedule, participants, vendors, and more.

Michael Dylan Welch started the Poets in the Park conference in 2004, and the first two conferences were held at Marymoor Park’s Clise Mansion in Redmond, Washington, sponsored by the Redmond Association of Spokenword. These well-attended events took place in April of 2004 and March of 2005. The 2014 revival of this event took place at Redmond’s Anderson Park, cosponsored by the City of Redmond and the Redmond Association of Spokenword, as more of a social and poetry reading/performance festival, with fewer workshops. Bring a blanket and picnic lunch to enjoy on the park lawns while listening to poetry at the next Poets in the Park!

Poets in the Park was one of Michael’s proposed duties as the 2013–2014 and 2014–2015 poet laureate of the city of Redmond. See also the 2014 Redmond Summer Poetry Walks.

See archived websites for the 2004 and 2005 Poets in the Park conferences. See Seattle Post-Intelligencer story about the 2004 conference.