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, Do the Write Thing and Def Poetry Reunion.

get 3-day pass for
Get Thursday pass for
Get Friday pass for
get Saturday pass for

 schedule 

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

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

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

 artists 

included in your experience

EvoluCulture Open Mic

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

learn more for

young artist day

Friday, October 16, 2026 @ 9AM
NJPAC

learn more for

family fun day

Saturday, October 17, 2026 @ 11AM
Chambers Plaza

learn more 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

Oct 16, 2026 @ 8PM | Prudential Hall

The “punk poet laureate” comes home to New Jersey for a night of songs and stories.. A true renaissance woman, Patti Smith’s influence has saturated global culture.

Buy Tickets for

def poetry reunion

Octo 17, 2026 @ 5PM | Victoria Theater

Featuring Dr. Antoinette Ellis-Williams, D.Cross (Derick Cross), Kraal “Kayo” Charles, Bonafide Rojas Chris “Flowmentalz” Cook and Liza Jessie Peterson.

Buy Tickets for

do the write thing

Oct 17, 2026 @ 8PM | Victoria Theater

A lively discussion and multimedia event with filmmaker/author Nelson George featuring DJ Spinna, Jessica Care Moore, Carl Hancock Rux, Tracie Morris, Vernon Reid and more.

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.