DodgePoetryFestival

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

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
9:30-10:40 AM What Happens to a Dream Deferred?: Stephanie Burt, Tongo Eisen-Martin, Diamond Forde, and Naomi Shihab Nye NJPAC Prudential Hall
9:30-10:40 AM New Jeru Slam Team featuring John Burke, Keynote, RADI, and SNC NJPAC Victoria Theater
9:30-10:40 AM Poetry and the Body: Quenton Baker, Meg Day, Dena Igusti, and Cindy Juyoung Ok
Robert Treat Hotel-New Jersey Room
9:30-10:40 AM Developing a Lexicon Toward Liberation: Dr. Grisel Y. Acosta, Tyehimba Jess, and Frank X Walker
Robert Treat Hotel-New York Room
9:30-10:40 AM Finding Our Ancestors in the Stars: Antoinette Ellis-Williams, Barbara Fant, Adrian Matejka, and Chanda Prescod-Weinstein Trinity-St. Philips
9:30-10:40 AM Poetry & the Sacred: Mckendy Fils-Aimé, Jessica Jacobs, Nick Martino, and Alysha Wise First Peddie Baptist
9:30-10:40 AM Story, Sound, Synergy, Light: The Interdisciplinary Poetic Experience: Jose Gonzalez, Cara Hagan, Martha Mooke, and Melida Rodas, 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, Gabriel Ramirez, and Ebony Stewart NJPAC Prudential Hall
11:00-12:10 PM Griots, Troubadours and MCs: Poetry and the Oral Tradition: Terrance Hayes, Rickey Laurentiis, and Glenis Redmond NJPAC Victoria Theater
11:00-12:10 PM Griots, Troubadours and MCs: Poetry and the Oral Tradition: Rajiv Mohabir, Peter E. Murphy, and Evie Shockley
Robert Treat Hotel-New Jersey Room
11:00-12:10 PM Griots, Troubadours and MCs: Poetry and the Oral Tradition: Noah Arhm Choi, Malcolm Friend, and Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha
Robert Treat Hotel-New York Room
11:00-12:10 PM Griots, Troubadours and MCs: Poetry and the Oral Tradition: Leslie McIntosh, E. Ethelbert Miller, and Noel Quiñones Trinity-St. Philips
11:00-12:10 PM Griots, Troubadours and MCs: Poetry and the Oral Tradition: Anthony Cody, Roberto Carlos Garcia, and Aja Monet First Peddie Baptist
11:00-12:10 PM Griots, Troubadours and MCs: Poetry and the Oral Tradition: Sarah Browning, Marina Carreira, and José Olivarez
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: Quenton Baker, Amanda Johnston, Adrian Matejka, and Danez Smith NJPAC Prudential Hall
12:40-1:50 PM We Are Not Your Labels: Dena Igusti, walela Nehanda, and Cindy Juyoung Ok NJPAC Victoria Theater
12:40-1:50 PM Radical Love & Liberation: Mayda del Valle, Mckendy Fils-Aimé, and Aja Monet
Robert Treat Hotel-New Jersey Room
12:40-1:50 PM Africana Institute’s 14th State of Black Writers Symposium: Tehsuan Glover, Rashida Nakia, and Mia x (assign only 150 kids & chaperones)
Robert Treat Hotel-New York Room
12:40-1:50 PM Writing Home: Brent Ameneyro, Ana Portnoy Brimmer, Anthony Cody, and Nick Martino Trinity-St. Philips
12:40-1:50 PM Taking Off the Mask: On Vulnerability in Poetry: Diamond Forde, Jessica Jacobs, and Alysha Wise First Peddie Baptist
12:40-1:50 PM Writing Speculative Futures: Stephanie Burt, Len Lawson, Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, and Julian Randall
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: Sarah Browning, Jive Poetic, Noel Quiñones, and Ebony Stewart NJPAC Victoria Theater
2:10-3:20 PM Where’s Jersey At? Fostering Community in our Neighborhoods: Dr. Grisel Y. Acosta, Marina Carreira, and Peter E. Murphy Trinity-St. Philips
2:10-3:20 PM To Be Young, Gifted and Black: Barbara Fant, Malcolm Friend, and Gabriel Ramirez 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
9:30-10:40 AM Praise & Reclamation: Meg Day, Tongo Eisen-Martin, Rickey Laurentiis, Rajiv Mohabir, Naomi Shihab Nye, José Olivarez, and Danez Smith NJPAC Victoria Theater
11:00-4:00 PM Family Fun Day (11-4 PM) Chambers Plaza
11:00-12:10 PM The Future is Female: Elizabeth Acevedo, Diamond Forde, Aja Monet, and 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, and Michael Wiegers
Robert Treat Hotel Ballroom 1
11:00-12:10 PM The Body, a Love Song: Claudia Cortese, Mckendy Fils-Aimé, Terrance Hayes, and Julian Randall
Robert Treat Hotel Ballroom 2
11:00-12:10 PM Historical Legend & Poetry: Tyehimba Jess, E. Ethelbert Miller, and Frank X Walker Trinity-St. Philips
11:00-12:10 PM Finding Our Ancestors in the Stars: Mayda del Valle, Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, Gabriel Ramirez, and Evie Shockley 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
12:30-1:40 PM
Cave Canem’s 30th Anniversary: Hayes Davis, Major Jackson, Suzanne Jackson, and Valerie Jean
 NJPAC Victoria Theater
12:30-1:40 PM Writing Workshop: Amanda Johnston Community Room
12:30-1:40 PM When Memory Speaks: A Dodge Poetry Festival Reading with CantoMundo: Jay Aja, María Fernanda Chamorro, and Noel Quiñones
Robert Treat Hotel Ballroom 1
12:30-1:40 PM Queering the Poem: Marina Carreira, Noah Arhm Choi, Rickey Laurentiis, and Leslie McIntosh
Robert Treat Hotel Ballroom 2
12:30-1:40 PM Writing Radical Joy: Stephanie Burt, Malcolm Friend, José Olivarez, and Glenis Redmond Trinity-St. Philips
12:30-1:40 PM Writing Our Land: Dr. Grisel Y. Acosta, Sarah Browning, Anthony Cody, Jessica Jacobs, and Peter E. Murphy First Peddie Baptist
12:30-1:40 PM Mental Wellness & Poetry: Len Lawson, Cindy Juyoung Ok, Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, and Ebony Stewart
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 Diaspora and Liberation: A Dodge Poetry Festival Reading with Lampblack Lit: Attorious Renée Augustin, Kailah Hodge, and Mya Matteo Alexice
Robert Treat Hotel Ballroom 1
2:00-3:10 PM
Embodied Connection: A Dodge Poetry Festival Reading with Kundiman: Fatimah Asghar, Sanam Sheriff, R. A. Villanueva
Robert Treat Hotel Ballroom 2
2:00-3:10 PM Poetry as Time Capsule: Dena Igusti, Adrian Matejka, Danez Smith, and Frank X Walker Trinity-St. Philips
2:00-3:10 PM Griots, Troubadours and MCs: Poetry and the Oral Tradition: Mayda del Valle, Tyehimba Jess, Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Patricia Smith, and Alysha Wise First Peddie Baptist
2:00-3:10 PM Developing a Lexicon Toward Liberation: Meg Day, Rajiv Mohabir, Noel Quiñones, and Evie Shockley
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: Quenton Baker, Terrance Hayes, Amanda Johnston, and E. Ethelbert Miller
Robert Treat Hotel Ballroom 1
3:30-4:40 PM Writing Our Story, Preventing Erasure: Tongo Eisen-Martin, Nick Martino, Carol Moldaw, and Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha
Robert Treat Hotel Ballroom 2
3:30-4:40 PM Saying What We Must: Ana Portnoy Brimmer, Roberto Carlos Garcia, and Naomi Shihab Nye Trinity-St. Philips
3:30-4:40 PM Poetry & Survival: Antoinette Ellis-Williams, walela Nehanda, Jive Poetic, and Julian Randall 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, and 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

 artists 

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

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.