Celebrating National Poetry Month and following a successful inaugural year in 2023, Poetry Palooza! is scheduled for April 19 and 20, 2024. This festival is an affiliated program of Iowa Poetry Association and supported by Humanities Iowa. The theme for Poetry Palooza! this year is Poetry of Place (regional-topics) and Echoes of Earth (ecology-focused) themes. Poetry Palooza will be held at Grand View University, and it is free and open to the public.

There will be performances, writing workshops, a panel discussion, the Iowa Poetry Association’s Poetry Slam Finals, an open mic, and the book launch for “Cities of the Plains”! Something for everyone. The featured lineup includes Camille Dungy, Traci Brimhall, Jennifer L. Knox, Paul Brooke, Debra Marquart, and Caleb “The Negro Artist” Rainey.

Poetry Palooza! is an Iowa-based nonprofit organization created to advance awareness and appreciation for poetry and poets through educational events that celebrate the written and spoken word. We are dedicated to nurturing creativity, encouraging understanding, and enriching lives by making the cultural and communication benefits of poetry accessible — especially to underserved communities.

Beaverdale Books will be there with books available for sale and signing.

NOTE:  The IPA Poetry Slam Finals will take place during Poetry Palooza on Friday, April 19 at 7:30 p.m. at Grand View University’s Viking Theater.

Full event details and RSVP