DodgePoetryFestival

Overview

Spoken word in every form is celebrated at the Dodge Poetry Festival on October 15-17, 2026 in Downtown Newark.

Meet your favorite poets including Elizabeth Acevedo, Tyehimba Jess, Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Aja Monet, Danez Smith, Jive Poetic, Mayde del Valle, José Olivarez and more. Discover new voices, speak your mind, call for change and mix rhyme with rhythm.

Events include:

  • 7 simultaneous stages of events in a walkable village in downtown Newark
  • Network and socialize at Thursday night’s mixer and open mic hosted by EvoluCulture
  • Fine-tune your craft on Thursday, a day for writers created in partnership with the Academy of American Poets
  • Pop-up bookstore and book signings curated and hosted by Source of Knowledge
  • Special readings by Cave Canem, CantoMundo, Lampblack and Kundiman and New Jeru Slam Team
  • And Saturday free outdoor Family Fun Day on Chambers Plaza

Full schedule coming soon.

Festival passes DO NOT include special ticketed events which must be purchased separately: Patti Smith, Is Brooklyn in the House? and Def Poetry Reunion.

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 schedule 

TIME EVENT LOCATION
11:00-12:10 PM Academy of American Poets: What We Do With Grief with Kimiko Hahn, Ilya Kaminsky, and Afaa Michael Weaver NJPAC Victoria Theater
12:30-1:40 PM Academy of American Poets: The Art of Revision with Jericho Brown, Cornelius Eady, and Patricia Smith NJPAC Victoria Theater
2:00-3:10 PM Academy of American Poets: Poetry Ancestors with Natalie Diaz and Ed Roberson NJPAC Victoria Theater
3:30-4:50 PM Making a Life in Poetry: Patricia Smith, Glenis Redmond, Diamond Forde, Peter E. Murphy NJPAC Victoria Theater
7:00-10:00 PM EvoluCulture Presents Catalyst Open Mic & Mixer NICO Kitchen + Bar

TIME EVENT LOCATION
9-9:30 AM Music NJPAC Prudential Hall
9:30-10:40 AM What Happens to a Dream Deferred?: Naomi Shihab Nye, Diamond Forde, Tongo Eisen-Martin, Stephanie Burt NJPAC Prudential Hall
9:30-10:40 AM New Jeru Slam Team featuring RADI, Keynote, SNC and John Burke NJPAC Victoria Theater
9:30-10:40 AM Poetry and the Body: Meg Day, Dena Igusti, Quenton Baker, Cindy Juyoung Ok Robert Treat Hotel-New Jersey Room
9:30-10:40 AM Developing a Lexicon Toward Liberation: Tyehimba Jess, Frank X Walker, Dr. Grisel Y. Acosta Robert Treat Hotel -New York Room
9:30-10:40 AM Finding Our Ancestors in the Stars: Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, Antoinette Ellis-Williams, Barbara Fant, Adrian Matejka Trinity-St. Philips
9:30-10:40 AM Poetry & the Sacred: Jessica Jacobs, Mckendy Fils-Aimé, Nick Martino, Alysha Wise First Peddie Baptist
9:30-10:40 AM Story, Sound, Synergy, Light: The Interdisciplinary Poetic Experience: Melida Rodas, Martha Mooke, Jose Gonzalez, Cara Hagan moderated by I. Buenaventura Express Newark (Lecture Hall)
9:30-10:40 AM Festival Open Mic NJ Hist. Soc./Open Mic
11:00-12:10 PM Griots, Troubadours and MCs: Poetry and the Oral Tradition: Jive Poetic, Ebony Stewart, Gabriel Ramirez NJPAC Prudential Hall
11:00-12:10 PM Griots, Troubadours and MCs: Poetry and the Oral Tradition: Rickey Laurentiis, Terrance Hayes, Glenis Redmond NJPAC Victoria Theater
11:00-12:10 PM Griots, Troubadours and MCs: Poetry and the Oral Tradition: Evie Shockley, Rajiv Mohabir, Peter E. Murphy Robert Treat Hotel-New Jersey Room
11:00-12:10 PM Griots, Troubadours and MCs: Poetry and the Oral Tradition: Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, Noah Arhm Choi , Malcolm Friend Robert Treat Hotel -New York Room
11:00-12:10 PM Griots, Troubadours and MCs: Poetry and the Oral Tradition:E. Ethelbert Miller, Noel Quiñones, Leslie McIntosh Trinity-St. Philips
11:00-12:10 PM Griots, Troubadours and MCs: Poetry and the Oral Tradition: Aja Monet, Anthony Cody, Roberto Carlos Garcia First Peddie Baptist
11:00-12:10 PM Griots, Troubadours and MCs: Poetry and the Oral Tradition: José Olivarez, Marina Carreira, Sarah Browning Express Newark (Lecture Hall)
11:00-12:10 PM Festival Open Mic NJ Hist. Soc./Open Mic
12:40-1:50 PM Writing Our Story, Preventing Erasure: Adrian Matejka, Danez Smith, Quenton Baker, Amanda Johnston NJPAC Prudential Hall
12:40-1:50 PM We Are Not Your Labels: Dena Igusti, Cindy Juyoung Ok, walela Nehanda NJPAC Victoria Theater
12:40-1:50 PM Radical Love & Liberation: Aja Monet, Mckendy Fils-Aimé, Mayda del Valle Robert Treat Hotel-New Jersey Room
12:40-1:50 PM Africana Institute’s 14th State of Black Writers Symposium: Tehsuan Glover, Rashida Nakia, Mia x (assign only 150 kids & chaperones) Robert Treat Hotel -New York Room
12:40-1:50 PM Writing Home: Nick Martino, Brent Ameneyro, Ana Portnoy Brimmer, Anthony Cody Trinity-St. Philips
12:40-1:50 PM Taking Off the Mask: On Vulnerability in Poetry: Alysha Wise, Jessica Jacobs, Diamond Forde First Peddie Baptist
12:40-1:50 PM Writing Speculative Futures: Julian Randall, Len Lawson, Stephanie Burt, Chanda Prescod-Weinstein Express Newark (Lecture Hall)
12:40-1:50 PM Festival Open Mic NJ Hist. Soc./Open Mic
2:10-3:20 PM Let Me Show You How It’s Done: Poetry & Performance: Jive Poetic, Sarah Browning, Ebony Stewart, Noel Quiñones NJPAC Victoria Theater
2:10-3:20 PM Where’s Jersey At? Fostering Community in our Neighborhoods: Marina Carreira, Dr. Grisel Y. Acosta, Peter E. Murphy Trinity-St. Philips
2:10-3:20 PM To Be Young, Gifted and Black: Barbara Fant, Gabriel Ramirez, Malcolm Friend First Peddie Baptist
2:10-3:20 PM Festival Open Mic NJ Hist. Soc./Open Mic
4:00-5:40 PM Redemption Time [70-minute movie with 25-minute talkback] NJPAC Victoria Theater
8:00 PM Patti Smith: Songs and Stories NJPAC Prudential Hall

TIME EVENT LOCATION
9:00-9:30 AM Music NJPAC Prudential Hall
9:30-10:40 AM Praise & Reclamation: Naomi Shihab Nye, Meg Day, Rajiv Mohabir, José Olivarez, Danez Smith, Rickey Laurentiis, Tongo Eisen-Martin NJPAC Victoria Theater
11:00-12:10 PM The Future is Female: Elizabeth Acevedo, Aja Monet, Diamond Forde, Patricia Smith NJPAC Victoria Theater
11:00-12:10 PM Writing Workshop: Alysha Wise Community Room
11:00-12:10 PM Transient Worlds: Poetry & Translation: Carol Moldaw, Arthur Sze, Michael Wiegers Robert Treat Hotel Ballroom 1
11:00-12:10 PM The Body, a Love Song: Mckendy Fils-Aimé, Julian Randall, Claudia Cortese, Terrance Hayes Robert Treat Hotel Ballroom 2
11:00-12:10 PM Historical Legend & Poetry: Frank X Walker, E. Ethelbert Miller, Tyehimba Jess Trinity-St. Philips
11:00-12:10 PM Finding Our Ancestors in the Stars: Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, Evie Shockley, Mayda del Valle , Gabriel Ramirez First Peddie Baptist
11:00-12:10 PM Dodge Poetry Youth Anthology Release (featuring Ms. Betty Neals and Darius Parker) (11-1) Newark Public Library
11:00-12:10 PM Festival Open Mic NJ Hist. Soc./Open Mic
11:00-12:10 PM Family Fun Day (11-4 PM) Chambers Plaza
12:30-1:40 PM Cave Canem’s 30th Anniversary NJPAC Victoria Theater
12:30-1:40 PM Writing Workshop: Amanda Johnston Community Room
12:30-1:40 PM CantoMundo featuring María Fernanda Chamorro, Jay Aja, Noel Quiñones Robert Treat Hotel Ballroom 1
12:30-1:40 PM Queering the Poem:Rickey Laurentiis, Leslie McIntosh, Noah Arhm Choi, Marina Carreira Robert Treat Hotel Ballroom 2
12:30-1:40 PM Writing Radical Joy: Stephanie Burt, José Olivarez, Glenis Redmond, Malcolm Friend Trinity-St. Philips
12:30-1:40 PM Writing Our Land: Jessica Jacobs, Anthony Cody, Sarah Browning, Peter E. Murphy, Dr. Grisel Y. Acosta First Peddie Baptist
12:30-1:40 PM Mental Wellness & Poetry : Ebony Stewart, Cindy Juyoung Ok, Len Lawson, Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha Express Newark (Lecture Hall)
12:30-1:40 PM Festival Open Mic NJ Hist. Soc./Open Mic
2:00-3:10 PM Writing Workshop: Brent Ameneyro Community Room
2:00-3:10 PM Lampblack Robert Treat Hotel Ballroom 1
2:00-3:10 PM Kundiman: Fatimah Asghar, Sanam Sheriff, R. A. Villanueva Robert Treat Hotel Ballroom 2
2:00-3:10 PM Poetry as Time Capsule: Danez Smith, Frank X Walker, Dena Igusti, Adrian Matejka Trinity-St. Philips
2:00-3:10 PM Griots, Troubadours and MCs: Poetry and the Oral Tradition: Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Tyehimba Jess, Mayda del Valle, Alysha Wise, Patricia Smith First Peddie Baptist
2:00-3:10 PM Developing a Lexicon Toward Liberation: Meg Day, Evie Shockley, Rajiv Mohabir, Noel Quiñones Express Newark (Lecture Hall)
2:00-3:10 PM Festival Open Mic NJ Hist. Soc./Open Mic
3:30-4:40 PM Writing Workshop: Barbara Fant Community Room
3:30-4:40 PM The Fusion of Form & Feeling: E. Ethelbert Miller, Terrance Hayes, Quenton Baker, Amanda Johnston Robert Treat Hotel Ballroom 1
3:30-4:40 PM Writing Our Story, Preventing Erasure: Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, Tongo Eisen-Martin, Carol Moldaw, Nick Martino Robert Treat Hotel Ballroom 2
3:30-4:40 PM Saying What We Must: Naomi Shihab Nye, Roberto Carlos Garcia, Ana Portnoy Brimmer Trinity-St. Philips
3:30-4:40 PM Poetry & Survival: Jive Poetic, walela Nehanda, Julian Randall, Antoinette Ellis-Williams First Peddie Baptist
3:30-4:40 PM Poetry Foundation presents the 2026 Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellows: xochi quetzali cartland, Fatima Jafar, Shaina Jones, Noel Munguia-Moreno, Tariq Thompson Express Newark (Lecture Hall)
3:30-4:40 PM Festival Open Mic NJ Hist. Soc./Open Mic
5:00 PM Def Poetry Reunion NJPAC Victoria Theater
8:00 PM Do the Write Thing NJPAC Prudential Hall

included in your experience

evening Open Mic/Mixer

Thursday, October 15, 2026 @ 7PM
NICO Kitchen + Bar

more info to come for

young artist day

Friday, October 16, 2026 @ 9AM
NJPAC

learn more for

family fun day

Saturday, October 17, 2026 @ 11AM
Chambers Plaza

more info to come for
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ADD-ONs

The shows listed below are NOT included in any of the festival passes. These performances require a separate ticket purchase.

patti smith

Friday, October 16, 2026 @ 8PM
Prudential Hall

Buy Tickets for

def poetry reunion

Saturday, October 17, 2026 @ 5PM
Victoria Theater

Buy Tickets for

do the write thing

Saturday, October 17, 2026 @ 8PM
Prudential Hall

Buy Tickets for

ASL Interpretation is available by request for certain performances with two weeks’ or more advance notice (only provided in Prudential Hall and Victoria Theater). Call 973-297-5843 Mon – Fri 9AM – 5PM, or email ticketservices@njpac.org.

people’s open mic: youth edition

Aug 26

EvoluCulture Open Mic & Mixer

Oct 15

Def Poetry Reunion

Oct 17
get festival pass for Dodge Poetry Festival