Poetry Field Trips and Events in NYC and Beyond
Any season, in fact, any day is the perfect time to take a walk in the park to read or write poetry. April is poetry month which is a special way to celebrate spring with poetry activities and events. Here are virtual activities, and NYC locations for workshops, readings, and inspiration.
Places to Discover Poetry in NYC
POETS HOUSE, in lower Manhattan, next to the Hudson River and a park with sculpture, is Poets House, open Tuesday through Saturday. Here is one of the largest collections of poetry available to the public, including a special children’s room that has weekly readings for Tiny Poet’s Time, which you can also access virtually with Tiny Poet’s Videos. Poet’s House also has intensive poetry courses for teens, in person and online. Check their calendar for readings and events.
THE AMERICAN POETS’ CORNER at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, 112th Street and Amsterdam Ave., is a place that honors poets and poetry. Admission is fee-based, but free to those with a Culture Pass or who live in the neighborhood (see details under Complimentary Admission on the Visit page.) The Muriel Rukeyser Poetry Wall is a place where anyone can leave a poem or take a poem, and you will see many poems posted here, signed and unsigned and in many languages. To submit a poem to the Poetry Wall, send it to: The Muriel Rukeyser Poetry Wall, The Cathedral Church of St John the Divine, 1047 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10025. Don't miss the Peace Fountain outside the Cathedral, encircled by several small, whimsical animal figures in bronze made from pieces sculpted by children.
THE NEW YORK CITY POETRY FESTIVAL happens annually for a weekend in mid-July on Governor’s Island. Sponsored by the Poetry Society of NY.
WALT WHITMAN BIRTHPLACE AND MUSEUM is located in Huntington, Long Island, and has weekend poetry events for children. If you go, after visitig the historic site, hike along the Walt Whitman Trail, where the poet used to walk. The Walt Whitman Assoc. has an annual Student Poetry Contest for grades 3-12 (submission deadline in 2025 is March 15). Walt Whitman was a New York poet! Read some of Whitman’s poems here. For a good introduction for elementary grades, read Poetry for Young People: Walt Whitman, edited by Jonathan Levin.
Free Poetry Workshops at Libraries, for Kids, Teens and Adults
Workshops may be in person or virtual. Registration is usually required.
The New York Public Library has a list of programming specific to poetry. You can find a list of events with dates and times here.
The Brooklyn Public Library (free to all residents in New York State) has poetry workshops in their calendar.
Poetry Society of America has workshops all year long in NYC, listed in their Events.
Poetry Readings and More
These events are for adults or teens, yet may attract a wide range of ages in the audience.
The Poetry Society of America has events in NYC scheduled throughout the year, including poetry workshops for K-5, registration and fee required.
Nuyorican Poets Café hosts weekly Poetry Slams and Open Mic Poetry nights, including a monthly Open Mic NIght for Teens. Events are open to all ages but geared for teens or adults.
Brooklyn Poets Reading Series has six events a year in various locations in Brooklyn, free in person and streamed on Zoom. Brooklyn Poets Friday Night Open Mic at 144 Montague St., is a ticketed event in person or virtually via Zoom.
Brooklyn Poetry Slam, monthly spontaneous poetry contests at the Bric House, free but you must RSVP.
Urban Word has poetry programs for teens. Urban Word founded the NYC Youth Poet Laureate Program for teens 15-19. There is also a National Youth Poet Laureate Program, with eleven participating states including New York.
Poetry Events Across the USA
Poets.org has a menu with every state in the USA. Select your state and discover your local poet laureate, as well as local publications and places that host poetry readings and events. They also have lesson plans for various grades, on different themes.
Find a local Poetry Slam here but searching for your state, at the Performance Poetry Preservation Project.
Books and Materials
Links are to Amazon for browsing purposes. Check your local library first (you can request that they carry the book), and then consider buying books used at local shops or Thriftbooks, and other supplies at a local art or stationary store..
How to Write a Poem by Kwame Alexander and Deanna Nikaido, for ages 4-8.
A Poem as Big As New York City: Little Kids Write About the Big Apple by the Teachers and Writers Collaborative, for ages 5-9.
Mural On Second Avenue and Other City Poems by Lilian Moore, for gaes 5-9.
Kwame Alexander’s Free Write: A Poetry Notebook by Kwame Alexander, for ages 8-12.
Write a Poem, Save Your Life: A Guide for Teens, Teachers, and Writers of All Ages by Meredith Heller, for teens and adults.
Moleskine Journal, 5” X 8.25” lined, the classic notebook for writers.
Black Flair Pens, medium tip, package of 5.
For More Poetry Fun, see: