Spanning seven stages across downtown Newark through Saturday, the Dodge Poetry Festival begins Thursday with a lineup of workshops, music, spoken word, and readings. Presented biennially by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), the event is billed as North America’s largest poetry festival. It has drawn more than 150,000 people since 1986.
NJPAC, located at 1 Center Street, serves as the main venue for the festival, with additional sites across Newark also hosting events. Daily programming gets underway at 9:30 a.m., with ticket prices between $47.40 and $117.35, according to Jersey Arts. Details on passes and separate ticketed events are available directly on the NJPAC website.
Patti Smith Concert and Special Ticketed Highlights
Set for 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, inside NJPAC’s Prudential Hall, Patti Smith: Songs and Stories will feature the Garden State native whose 1975 album Horses included the song “Gloria.”
The schedule also features a Def Poetry Reunion honoring Abiodun Oyewole. The gathering reunites poets from the HBO series Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry, which aired from 2002 to 2007, and features performances and tributes from Antoinette Ellis-Williams, Derick Cross, Bonafide Rojas, and Liza Jessie Peterson, among others. A third separately ticketed special event, Is Brooklyn in the House?, is also on the docket. Festival passes do not cover the Smith concert, the Def Poetry reunion, or the Brooklyn showcase.
Poets on the Program and Special Workshops
The roster of participating writers features prominent literary figures, including U.S. Poet Laureate Arthur Sze and Pulitzer Prize winner Tyehimba Jess. Additional featured poets include Elizabeth Acevedo, Kimberly M. Blaeser, Stephanie Burt, Anthony Cody, Meg Day, Terrance Hayes, Adrian Matejka, Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Aja Monet, Danez Smith, Jive Poetic, Mayde del Valle, and José Olivarez.
Special readings are scheduled from literary organizations such as Cave Canem, CantoMundo, Lampblack, and Kundiman, alongside the New Jeru Slam Team. Thursday’s opening day is specifically dedicated to writers through a specialized program created in partnership with the Academy of American Poets. That evening, EvoluCulture will host a networking mixer and open mic. Throughout the event, a pop-up bookstore curated and operated by Source of Knowledge will provide book signings.
Saturday Family Fun Day and Community Impact
On Saturday, NJPAC will host a free Family Fun Day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Chambers Plaza. The outdoor community gathering features dance classes, live performances, poetry readings, and a Latino Heritage Celebration.
Organizers emphasize that the festival functions as an artistic platform and a driver of social justice. Ysabel Y. González, the festival’s curator and NJPAC’s producer for poetry and social impact, noted that poetry provides individuals with a voice. She stated that writing in a private journal or speaking at a local open mic allows people to share their most vulnerable selves while connecting with one another. According to NJArts.net, the event serves as a space for expression, resistance, connection, and engagement for audiences navigating a troubled world.
