St. Petersburg Holds First-Ever "City of Writers Poetry Festival" in April 

March 28, 2023 - In celebration of National Poetry Month, the City of St. Petersburg, City Poet Laureate Gloria Muñoz, and several community partners will co-host the city’s first-ever City of Writers Poetry Festival. Events will be held throughout the community during the month of April. 

“The City of Writers Poetry Festival will highlight emerging and established writers who reflect the talent, diversity, and creativity of St. Petersburg,” said Mayor Kenneth T. Welch. “We are known as a City of the Arts and it’s exciting to see Poet Laureate Gloria Muñoz put poetry in motion.” 

The City of Writers Poetry Festival will include weekly workshops, book releases, an open mic night, and a youth poetry showcase. The festival will be bookended by poet Ross Gay and St. Pete Youth Farm on April 1st and a “Pam Jam” with the Al Downing Tampa Bay Jazz Association on April 30th. 

“As a member of St. Pete's writing community, it’s an honor to celebrate poets whose works may be familiar, unknown, inspiring, or thought-provoking,” said Gloria Muñoz, Poet Laureate for the City of St. Petersburg. “By making the City of Writers Poetry Festival a yearly tradition, we can introduce and cement the efforts of aspiring and seasoned writers who comprise St. Pete’s creative landscape.”  

Events are free and open to the public unless stated otherwise. Some events require advance registration. For a full listing of festival events and registration information, please visit www.stpete.org/cityofwriters.