First Annual Poetry Fest starts today

In honor of April being National Poetry Month, Secret Garden Books and the Washington Poets Association are putting on the first annual Ballard Poetry Fest starting today, Thursday April 26 through Saturday, April 28. Poetry lovers will find local poets reading their work all over Ballard.

Here is the full schedule:

Thursday, April 26:

• 6:30 pm, Ballard Public Library, 5614 22^nd Ave. NW: A reading, hosted Floating Bridge Press, featuring:  Poets featured in Floating Bridge Review #4: Joan Fiset, Arthur Ginsberg, Sybil James & Steven Quig.

Friday, April 27:

• 4 p.m., Umpqua Bank, 2032 NW Market Street: A reading, hosted by David Thornbrugh, featuring:  Greg Bem, Jeanine Walker, Nadine Maestas & Doug Nufer. With an open mic – bring your poems.
• 6 p.m., Secret Garden Books, 2214 NW Market Street: A reading, hosted by Don Kentop, featuring:  Nancy Dahlberg, Sharon Cumberland, Dennis Caswell & Belle Randall . With an open mic – bring your poems.
• 6:30 p.m., Adams Elementary School, 6110 28th Ave NW: A reading, hosted by school librarian Marlene Friend, featuring children’s poet George Shannon.

Saturday, April 28:

• 1 p.m., Secret Garden Books, 2214 NW Market Street: A reading, hosted by Angel Latterell, featuring Washington State Poet Laureate Kathleen Flenniken, with Don Kentop, Michael Schein & Carol Levin. With an open mic – bring your poems.
• 5 p.m., Conor Byrne Pub, 5140 Ballard Avenue NW: A reading, hosted by Jed Myers, featuring: Lyn Coffin, Peter Munro, Peter Ludwin, Belle Randall, & Bellingham poet James Bertolino. With an open mic – bring your poems.
• 7 p.m., The Ballard Landmark, 5433 Leary Avenue NW: A reading, hosted by Cathy Ross, featuring: haiku poet Michael Dylan Welch, with Kelly Rigel Hower & Nan Harty. With an open mic – bring your poems.