27th Annual Poetry Fest 2026

Presented by the Chicago Public Library Foundation, the 27th Annual Poetry Fest is a day-long festival celebrating poetry for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Harold Washington Library Center and features an impressive lineup of activities including the 22nd Annual Haiku Fest Awards Program, 'Poems While You Wait' with manual typewriters, the Chicago Poetry Expo showcasing various poetry organizations, and multiple workshops on writing poetry in an era of overwhelm, finding your voice, ASL poetry slam, self-portrait in verse, and erasure poetry. It also includes readings by established poets, a keynote from Chicago Poet Laureate Mayda del Valle, and an open mic session. The fest aims to welcome attendees into a vibrant poetic community and uplift diverse voices.