27th Annual Chicago Poetry Fest

Chicago Public Library’s 27th Annual Poetry Fest took over Harold Washington Library Center on Saturday, April 25, with a free day of readings, workshops and performances. (chipublib.org) The festival ran from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the downtown library and was presented by the Chicago Public Library Foundation. The lineup included workshops, open mics and presentations for readers of different ages and experience levels. (chipublib.org) (chipublib.bibliocommons.com) One of the day’s headline events was the 22nd Annual Haiku Fest awards program, which featured readings by writers ages 8 to 18. The schedule also included a poetry slam and “Poems While You Wait.” (chipublib.org) (ma.to) The featured names tied the event to Chicago and Illinois poetry institutions. Chicago Poet Laureate avery r. young, Chicago Youth Poet Laureate Eila Kittikamron and Illinois Poet Laureate Mark Turcotte were all listed on the program. (ma.to) Mayda del Valle, the former Chicago Poet Laureate, was scheduled to deliver the keynote. Chicago Public Library published the festival announcement on April 9 as part of its National Poetry Month calendar. (chipublib.org) The event landed in a broader month of library programming that included poetry workshops, performances and discussions at branches across the city. Chicago Public Library promoted those events in a March 19 roundup for National Poetry Month 2026. (chipublib.org) Time Out Chicago listed Poetry Fest as a free April 25 event at Harold Washington Library Center in the Loop. CBS Chicago also included Poetry Fest in its weekend picks for April 25. (timeout.com) (cbsnews.com) For Chicago Public Library, the annual festival remains a single-day centerpiece for Poetry Month: a downtown gathering that mixes youth readings, established poets and public workshops under one roof. (chipublib.org)