Where to Celebrate National Poetry Month in Westchester
Westchester County celebrates National Poetry Month with open mic nights, readings, conversations and performances throughout April. Libraries, museums and writing centers will all take part in spotlighting the power of poetry.
April 3
20th Anniversary White Plains Library Poetry Slam Celebration
Presented by White Plains Public Library Foundation
A night featuring two performances and an open mic will celebrate the 20th anniversary of White Plains Public Library’s Poetry Slam. The night will begin with readings by Rebecca P. Bruckenstein, who blends the creative arts with social justice, and Nina Belen Robins, a three-time national slam poet who aims to normalize and destigmatize mental illness. An open mic will follow the performances. At White Plains Public Library.
April 5
Tarot & Typewriters with Ars Poetica
Presented by Hudson River Museum
Prompted by the celestial occurrence of the solar eclipse, Ars Antiqua will offer tarot readings and custom poetry, both with a focus on new beginnings and sense of self. Tarot readers will pull a three-card spread and a poet with a vintage typewriter will write poems on the spot. At Hudson River Museum.
April 6
14th Annual Westchester Poetry Festival
Presented by Hudson Valley Writers Center
The 14th annual poetry festival will present the work of five poets: with Anastacia-Renee, Suzanne Frischkorn, Rodney Leonard, Laura Newbern and Leah Umansky. In Estherwood Mansion at The Masters School, Dobbs Ferry.
April 8
Local Writers Series Presents: A Reading with Ivy Raff, Timothy Liu, & Bryan Monte
Presented by Hudson Valley Writers Center
To kick off National Poetry Month, Hudson Valley Writers Center presents local poets Ivy Raff, Timothy Liu and Bryan Monte as they read from their most recent books. At Hudson Valley Writers Center.
April 12
Open Mic: Celebrating Poetry Month
Presented by Bethany Arts Community and Hudson Valley Books for Humanity
Special guest Westchester County Poet Laureate Phylisha Villanueva will host a night filled with poetry, ekphrastic writing and music.
April 14
Exhibition Opening: Open Call
Presented by ArtsWestchester
ArtsWestchester, its “Open Call” exhibition, features 22 artists that represent the breadth of art being made in Westchester County, including Elizabeth Diaz, winner of the 2024 Lawrence Salley Photography Award. An opening reception on April 14 will include a reading by local poets, including Westchester County Poet Laureate Phylisha Villanueva, previous Laureate Barbara Fischer, Yonkers Poet Laureate Golda Solomon and Youth Poet Laureates Harmony Hopwood, Alexa Murphy and Asa Miller.
April 14
Poetry & Conversation with Patricia Spears Jones, Peter Covino, & E.J. Antonio
Presented by Hudson Valley Writers Center
Guests at this event of live poetry and conversation at Hudson Valley Writers Center will hear from with Patricia Spears Jones, Peter Covino and E.J. Antonio.
April 18
When the Smoke Cleared: Attica Prison Poems & Journal Conversations
Presented by Ossining Public Library
Dr. Celes Tisdale and Mark Nowak will participate in a conversation about the role poetry played in 1970s prison reform. As the first African American to teach a poetry class in an American Prison, Dr. Tisdale’s personal experiences from this time period make for a robust discussion surrounding the importance and the power of poetry. At Ossining Public Library.
April 20
ArtSpeak/From Page to Performance
Presented by Blue Door Art Center
Even inexperienced writers can participate in Blue Door Art Center’s Artspeak/From Page to Performance Poetry workshop on April 20. This series, conceived by Yonkers’s first poet laureate, Golda Solomon, offers a welcoming space for creatives to discover or hone in on their craft as they work alongside writers and artists of multiple genres.
April 27
Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing
Presented by Pound Ridge Library
This premier performance of Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing, a performance by acclaimed jazz pianist, composer and educator Peter Malinverni, weaves in lines from the poetry of James Weldon Johnson.
April 27
Special Open Mic with Westchester Poet Laureate Phylisha Villanueva
Presented by Hudson Valley Writers Center
Hudson Valley Writers Center will host an open mic night led by Westchester Poet Laureate Phylisha Villanueva. Guests will listen to various poem entries from the Westchester 30-Day Poetry Challenge, a series of daily prompts on Instagram throughout the month of April – a collaboration between Villanueva, ArtsWestchester, Hudson Valley Writers Center and Yonkers Writing Group.
April 28
Ekphrastic Poetry and Music: Connecting to Rivers
Presented by Hudson River Museum
Flutist Adam Ray and word artists Marcus John and Ann Van Buren each come from diverse backgrounds and life experiences but have roots in the Hudson Valley. The performance delves into themes from Rivers Flow / Artists Connect, an exhibition on display at the museum. The show uses the river as a metaphor for unity, featuring original music and words that utilize audience participation.
April 28
Playdates with Jazz & Poetry
Presented by Blue Door Art Center
Blue Door Art Center hosts a series of Sunday afternoons filled with jazz and poetry. Poets and musicians will have the opportunity to jam with the gallery band. Meanwhile, kids can participate in a project at the “creativity table.”
April 28
Poetry and Conversation with Tom Sleigh and Daniel Lawless
Presented by Hudson Valley Writers Center
Poets Tom Sleigh and Daniel Lawless will be in conversation with hosts Sally Bliumis Dunn and Estha Weiner during this event.
BONUS: Westchester 30-Day Poetry Challenge
This collaboration between ArtsWestchester, Poet Laureate Phylisha Villanueva, Yonkers Writing Group and Hudson Valley Writers Center provides daily prompts on Instagram throughout the month of April. Writers and non-writers alike are encouraged to participate by tagging @artswestchester and @a_poet_named_phylisha every day with new poems, drafts and thoughts based on that day’s prompt. #westchesterpoetry #westchester30dpc.
