Events Schedule
Events
List of events in Photo View
The 2025 Edmonton Poetry Festival FINALE…
YOU. Yes, you! Did you know THERE’S STILL TIME TO CELEBRATE? The 20th Edmonton Poetry Festival is preparing to hibernate for another year… but not before going out with a BANG! A POW! A ...
Poetry Playroom
Calling poetic kids of all ages! Join us for an hour of word play to goof around with rhymes, sounds, and partnered poem-writing. This online workshop is intended for you and your child, you ...
Deaf Poetry Jam
Rhyme doesn’t exist only in the spoken word—it emerges just as powerfully through the motion of hands and the cadence of facial expressions. The Invisible Practice is an Indigenous-informed Deaf arts collective building capacity ...
THE TWENTY Launch, Part Two!
Come celebrate THE TWENTY Youth Poetry Collection! The Edmonton Poetry Festival Society (EPFS) is launching a youth poetry book to showcase up-and-coming voices in poetry, as part of the festival’s 20th anniversary! The publication ...
Artist’s Circle: Nourishing Poetic Community
Join the EPF on April 26 at CO*LAB for Artist’s Circle: Nourishing Poetic Community! This event will be an artist’s circle featuring readings, conversations, and light refreshments! Come celebrate the CLC’s 2025 Student Poetry ...
Parenting Poets Open Mic
Co-hosted by Jennifer Bowering Delisle (Edmonton) and Sneha Madhavan-Reese (Ottawa), this online open mic will feature readings from poets who identify as parents–though poems need not be about parenting. Open mic signup will take ...
French Twist: Le Dixième Anniversaire
C’est le 10e anniversaire du French Twist, présenté dans le cadre du Edmonton Poetry Festival ! Pierrette Requier animera la soirée dans les deux langues officielles, créant un pont linguistique et culturel, pour en ...
HOLDOVER: Dapper Dan’s Indian & Outlaw Extravaganza
GOOOOOOOOD EEEEEEEEEEVENING! The Edmonton Poetry Festival Society is proud to re-present, to re-feature, to re-showcase, for your viewing and aural pleasure a curated evening of poetics, politics, dance, & culture such as you are ...
Haiku 101 Workshop
Want to learn a little more about the world’s shortest poem? Join David Brydges, Poet Emissary of The Ontario Poetry Society, as he leads a workshop on how to write some haiku and have ...
Parkland Poets In-Person Reading Series
Are you a poet or someone who appreciates poetry? If so, Parkland Poets invites you to join them every second (online) and fourth (in person) Thursday of the month for their Reading Series! This ...
New Standards Music ft. Dwennimmen
A fixture in Edmonton’s jazz community, New Standards Music offers musicians, artists, and listeners a place to perform, meet, and network. Every Wednesday at The Common starting at 8pm. Come out and jam with ...
Local Publishers Showcase
Edmonton has a rich history of local publishers who bring many emerging and experienced poets to readers. Join our showcase of some of these publishers, featuring Funicular Magazine, The Bolo Tie Collective, Hungry Zine, ...
Literary Editions
Literary Editions is co-hosted by the Edmonton Poetry Festival. This annual poetry event will feature online readings from UAlberta Press’ newest collections: This Sweet Rupture by Omar Ramadan, When Whales Went Back to the ...
The Nightingale Spoken Word Series: Open Mic Night!
“A Poet is a nightingale who sits in darkness, and sings to cheer its own solitude with sweet sounds; his auditors are as men entranced by the melody of an unseen musician, who feel ...
Dapper Dan’s Indian & Outlaw Extravaganza
This event is now past capacity. We’re SORRY. So Sorry. (Not sorry.) Please consider joining us at The Aviary the evening of April 27th, where some of Dapper Dan’s Indians & Outlaws are rumored ...
THE TWENTY Launch, Part One!
Come celebrate THE TWENTY Youth Poetry Collection! The Edmonton Poetry Festival Society (EPFS) is launching a youth poetry book to showcase up-and-coming voices in poetry, as part of the festival’s 20th anniversary! The publication ...
How To Microphone – Open Mic
Microphones… how do they work? Magnets? Maybe. Magic? Probably. Where do they even come from? Micronesia? Obviously. This Edmonton Poetry Festival workshop / open mic led by a team of microphone assassins, assistants and ...
Poetry & Stillness
A chime sounds, and a voice enters the quiet circle of listeners. Join Poetry & Stillness for poems in a quiet space. This event invites participants to bring poems (by you or someone else) ...
How Do Polyglot Poets Reclaim their Indigenous Languages?
Join The Polyglot for an inspiring evening with three Indigenous poets who speak multiple languages and are actively engaged in playing, experimenting, and revitalizing their languages through poetry. This reading and discussion explores how ...
Celebration of New Poetry Books
Edmonton poets publish a steady flow of poetry books every year. Join us to celebrate a few which have been launched in recent months! These books are wildly different in subject matter – from ...
How To Chapbook Workshop
Join the Edmonton Poetry Festival Society at The Society of Northern Alberta Printmakers (SNAP) Gallery for an exploration of why-wait-to-be-published-when-you-can-do-it-yourself chapbook production. Facilitators Big Al and Abbigail Ketsa offer a sample of some of ...
New Standards Music ft. Some-Sum
A fixture in Edmonton’s jazz community, New Standards Music offers musicians, artists, and listeners a place to perform, meet, and network. Every Wednesday at The Common starting at 8pm. Come out and jam with ...
The Blinks 2025
The Blinks 2025 is not your robot’s poetry! This year is all about “Putting the Art in Artificial Intelligence”. This event is invented and presented by the Stroll of Poets at the Edmonton Poetry Festival ...
Woman, Life, Freedom: Anthology Launch
This international anthology celebrates a world-historical moment: the first ever feminist revolution. The slogan chanted by the demonstrators in Iran is “Woman, Life, Freedom”, and it encompasses hopes and ideals for all people everywhere. This ...
The EPFS 20th Birthday Party!
This year the Edmonton Poetry Festival turns 20! That’s 20 years coming together as a community to enjoy the varied poetic voices that ripple throughout our region. 20 years got us reflecting on the ...
Parkland Poets Online Reading Series
Are you a poet or someone who appreciates poetry? If so, Parkland Poets invites you to join them every second (online) and fourth (in person) Thursday of the month for their Reading Series! This ...
The Olive Reading Series
The Olive Readings happen on the second Wednesday of every month from January to April and September to December. These well-attended evening readings feature well-established local, Albertan, or Canadian writers reading from recent work. ...
The Carrot Cafe Poetry Night
Sip a latte and enjoy original poetry at The Carrot’s uniquely warm and personal open mic night. Open to performers of all stages and ages, this event presents professionals, amateurs and “closet” artists—some performing ...
galáxias Book Launch
Join in on the Edmonton launch of the first English translation of galáxias, by the renowned Brazilian avant-gardist Haroldo de Campos. This brilliant work (composed over two decades and published in 1984) charts a ...
Poetry In Times Of Turmoil – A Workshop by Rayanne Haines
How can poems speak in times of turmoil? In this workshop, celebrated Edmonton poet Rayanne Haines will help poets address this question in their own work. The term “poetry of witness” was coined decades ...
Haven Reading Series
The Haven Reading Series is the main event for Stroll of Poet members to share their poetry in front of a supportive audience in an atmosphere which is both friendly and inviting. The series ...
Soul Speak
Soul Speak is an open mic event in the lobby of the Grindstone Theatre and hosted by Ryan Summers, aka Some-Sum. It focuses on self-expression through words — be that through song, poetry, or ...
Celebration of Poetry
Celebrate National Poetry Month with an afternoon of poetry, hosted by Regional Writer in Residence Anna Marie Sewell and featuring two local poets, Kayleigh Cline and Don Perkins. There will also be an open ...
POETRYSPORTS at the BONFIRE Festival
POETRYSPORTS is a collaboration between Rapid Fire Theatre and the Edmonton Poetry Festival. Teams of improvisers, led by actual poets, will duke it out in the realm of poetry. Whose haikus will prove the ...
KinSpeak: A Performance in the Voices of our Non-Human Kin
Come listen to members of the Stroll of Poets perform pieces from their most recent chapbook project, honoring the chorus of non-human voices around us. Venue Note: This event will take place at the ...
Poetry Café – Open Mic
Part of the 2025 Edmonton Poetry Festival Poetry Lobby Series, this is a different kind of open mic. A different kind. Of open mic. 6:00pm – 6:45pm. A call and response, between poets and movers. A ...
Comedy Poetry Café: Celebrating Stony Plain Library’s 80th Anniversary!
Join in on an evening of candlelit comedy and light humour to celebrate the joy and friendship that the Stony Plain Public Library has brought to the community for 80 years – and the ...
Poetry Café – Open Mic
Part of the 2025 Edmonton Poetry Festival Poetry Lobby Series, this is a different kind of open mic. A different kind. Of open mic. 6:00pm – 6:45pm. A call and response, between poets and movers. A ...
VERS/E: Queer Poetry Open Mic
VERS/E is a monthly queer poetry open mic that takes place the first Wednesday of every month from September to April. Whether you’re a seasoned poet or just starting out, this event is the ...
WORD*LAB August (Guest TBA)
WORD*LAB Guest TBA Plus open mic! When: August 17th, 2023 at 7:30pm Where: CO*LAB – 9641 102A Ave NW, Edmonton Co-presented by: Edmonton Poetry Festival and CO*LAB Funded by: Canadian Heritage A monthly performance ...
WORD*LAB July (Guest TBA)
WORD*LAB Guest TBA Plus open mic! When: July 13th, 2023 at 7:30pm Where: CO*LAB – 9641 102A Ave NW, Edmonton Co-presented by: Edmonton Poetry Festival and CO*LAB Funded by: Canadian Heritage A monthly performance ...
WORD*LAB June (Guest TBA)
WORD*LAB Guest TBA Plus open mic! When: June 15th, 2023 at 7:30pm Where: CO*LAB – 9641 102A Ave NW, Edmonton Co-presented by: Edmonton Poetry Festival and CO*LAB Funded by: Canadian Heritage A monthly performance ...
WORD*LAB YEG Youth Takeover Poetry Night
WORD*LAB YEG Youth Takeover Poetry Night Plus open mic! When: May 18th, 2023 at 7:30pm Where: CO*LAB – 9641 102A Ave NW, Edmonton Co-presented by: Edmonton Poetry Festival and CO*LAB Funded by: Canadian Heritage ...
Knife on Snow: Book Launch
Please join Alice Major as she celebrates the launch of her newest poetry collection, Knife on Snow. About Knife on Snow What portents must you divine when a knife falls from the sky into ...
Ignite Unite Open Mic
It’s time for local and emerging poets and spoken word artists to share their work! Come read a poem or two at for this year’s penultimate event on Sunday, April 30th from 12:00pm to ...
Ignite Unite Poetry Party
Join us for another fabulous Poetry Party! We will hear from four poets who graced our stages throughout the festival this year. Expect big energy, big feelings, and big fun! Readings from Meghan Eaker, ...
Food for Thought
Food for Thought is a catered event that is all about sparking your interest in local magazines that have published poetry. Take this opportunity to experience some of the poetry that has been published ...
Poésie à haute voix : un atelier d’écriture
Poésie à Haute Voix est une invitation pour les Francophones, ceux qui parlent Franglais et ceux qui ont le courage de dépoussiérer leur français et de se renouer avec leur amour pour la langue ...