Poetry in the middle of the city, in Centre Square? Yeah we also do that. Every year.
And there’s a good reason why I have been doing this to kick off the big EBF festival weekend every year, in public, under the stars since 2021: Poetry in public raises the profile of poetry in a community. Sharing in front of the community, neighbors, people walking by- it isn’t easy. It can be scary but it can also be empowering. We have each other.
Poetry can be a solitary art, a quiet art, art on the page. And that is ok. But it can also be witness, testimony, a claim on public space and a stage of community. It can be loud, bold, it can be a way of saying something to the world around us. We invite people to come and do this. Come share a poem, come speak your words out loud, come hang out together and poet under the stars. Friday, October 16, 2026 from 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM in Centre Square, in downtown Easton. Look for the flags and the mic. Look for us.
This year, Lehigh Valley Poetry will partner with Noble Quills to host OPEN MIC IN CENTRE SQUARE, Easton Book Festival 2026. We look forward to seeing you! Check out the Easton Book Festival website for the latest, schedule, brochure, app, and more. www.eastonbookfestival.com
