The Garland County Library in Hot Springs, Arkansas, will host the second annual Hot Springs Poetry Festival from November 1 to November 7, offering a weeklong celebration of poetry. The event is free and aims to engage participants in various poetry-related activities.
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Samm Binns, the festival's founding director, noted that the inaugural festival attracted around 300 attendees and featured online workshops and film screenings. This year's festival includes 18 events, beginning with the Poetry Playground, an interactive session designed to engage visitors with different poetry forms through activities like magnet poetry, blackout poems, and a DIY zine station, along with a new haiku corner.
Special guests at this year’s festival include James McWilliams, a Pulitzer Prize finalist, as well as Conway-based writers Ellie Black and A.C. Clark. Binns emphasized the significance of Hot Springs' established poetry community, citing the longstanding Wednesday Night Poetry series, hosted by Kai Coggan, which has included weekly open mic readings since 1989—the longest-running series in the nation.
One highlight of the festival is the poetry slam, featuring 20 poets competing for approximately $1,000 in prizes, with participants still able to register. After the slam, the Spa City Book Fair will take place, showcasing local authors, artists, and businesses through book signings, poetry readings, and art exhibitions.
The Hot Springs Poetry Festival invites attendees from across Arkansas and beyond, promoting the state's arts and supporting local writers and businesses. For more information on the full schedule and event registration, details are available online.