The revived Des Moines National Poetry Festival, known as Poetry Palooza, returns April 16-18 with nationally recognized poets, student workshops, awards, open mic events and the Iowa Poetry Slam Championship. All events are free and open to the public.
Poetry Palooza is returning to Des Moines from April 16-18, bringing a full weekend of poetry, performance and community programming to Central Iowa during National Poetry Month.
The revived festival will feature a lineup of nationally recognized poets, including National Book Award winner and immigration rights attorney Martín Espada, Nebraska State Poet Jewel Rodgers, Anishinaabe activist and former Wisconsin Poet Laureate Kimberly Blaeser, and Iowa poet and educator Kelli Lage.
The event highlights the role of poetry as both an art form and a community-building tool, while creating space for emerging voices, student engagement and live spoken word performance.
Martín Espada opens the weekend in Des Moines
Espada will launch the festival with appearances at Des Moines Area Community College on April 16. His participation is part of a collaboration with DMACC and UNI, bringing one of the country’s most recognized literary voices to Iowa audiences.
Festival organizers said Espada’s presence also gives students and community members a chance to connect with poetry through themes of justice, identity and public life.
Latinos in Action students from five Central Iowa high schools are also expected to engage with Espada as part of the event, adding a strong youth and community component to the weekend.
Featured poets will take the stage at Grand View University
The festival’s featured poet performance will take place the evening of April 17 at Grand View University’s Viking Theater.
That program will bring together Espada, Rodgers, Blaeser and Lage for a night centered on the written and spoken word. The lineup reflects a wide range of experiences and styles, from nationally recognized literary work to regional and emerging voices with deep ties to the Midwest.
Before the performance, an awards reception in the theater lobby will honor renowned Iowa poets Ray Young Bear and Jim Autry.
Ray Young Bear will receive a major poetry and leadership award
As part of the festival, Ray Young Bear will be honored with the James A. Autry Award for Poetry & Leadership, recognizing his significant contributions to Iowa’s poetry community.
The award adds another layer to a weekend that is not only focused on performances, but also on literary leadership and the long-term impact of poets who have shaped Iowa’s cultural landscape.
Saturday’s program includes workshops, open mic and slam finals
The final day of Poetry Palooza will bring a full schedule of events at Grand View University, including workshops, an open mic and a closing performance featuring finalists from the Iowa Poetry Association’s slam competition.
Saturday night’s Iowa Poetry Slam Championship will spotlight some of the state’s top spoken word poets as they compete for the title of 2025 IPA Poetry Slam Champion.
The winner will receive cash prizes, publication opportunities and the chance to represent Iowa at the national competition.
For audiences unfamiliar with poetry slam, the event promises a lively and energetic atmosphere built around performance, voice and audience connection.
Student workshops extend the festival beyond the main stage
Poetry Palooza will also include several student workshops connected to Atlantic High School, the Oakridge Neighborhood, the Meskwaki Settlement School and Bondurant.
Those sessions expand the festival’s reach beyond campus venues and into schools and communities, reinforcing its educational mission and giving young people more direct access to working poets.
Festival organizers also point to the connection between poetry and mental well-being as part of this year’s broader conversation. Kelsey Bigalow will be available to discuss how poetry can help people process and express mental health experiences.
Poetry Palooza returns during National Poetry Month
The return of Poetry Palooza comes at a timely moment, as April brings added attention to poetry, literacy and artistic expression across the country.
In Des Moines, the festival offers a mix of local and national voices, educational programming and public performances designed to make poetry accessible to broad audiences.
Leading sponsors for this year’s event include Polk County, Cultivating Compassion: The Dr. Richard Deming Foundation, Rusty Hubbell Family Fund, Humanities Iowa, Business Publications, Ana & Ed McCracken, and the Riley Family Fund.
For details and registration information, visit poetryamp.org.
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