Sierra Poetry Festival’s Tenth Year. Join us on April 18, 2026, in Grass Valley, California.
SAVE THE DATE
Saturday, April 18, 2026
The Center for the Arts, Grass Valley, CA
Sierra Poetry Festival is a project of Nevada County Arts Council. This year’s festival will take place on April 18, 2026 at The Center for the Arts, in Grass Valley, CA, attended by some of our most exciting local, national, and international poets and performers. PLUS, more than a month of pop-up poetry events, free and open to the public.
FULL PROGRAM DETAILS AND TICKET SALES AVAILABLE EARLY 2026.
Festivities commence on March 21st, World Poetry Day, and continue through the month of April with the SPF Fringe, a month-long fringe poetry festival which takes place in venues across Nevada County and beyond.
Sierra Poetry Festival marks National Poetry Month from the rolling foothills of California’s Gold Country to the rugged High Sierra, bringing a rich literary community together to celebrate the spoken word and reach out to new audiences in fresh ways. Through Sierra Poetry Festival we also celebrate California Arts, Culture & Creativity Month and we draw attention to our two coveted California Cultural Districts.
“Blue mountains are neither sentient nor insentient… at this moment, you cannot doubt the blue mountains walking.”
Why Poetry?
Like communities across the world, we believe that poetry has the power to inspire, heal, and build bridges. We believe that it is a healthy way to share experiences, teach patience and joy, and bring communities together.
Access at Sierra Poetry Festival
We strive to host an inclusive, accessible festival so that all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, can engage fully. To request an accommodation, or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact Eliza Tudor at eliza@nevadacountyarts.org, or by phone at 530-718-0727
Youth Participation
A key priority for Nevada County Arts Council at Sierra Poetry Festival is local youth. We want to offer them an opportunity to grow and thrive – either through poetry recitation or through the simple enjoyment of listening to poetry read by some of our most eminent poets. Our youth can enjoy main stage readings, attend workshops, and participate in the free fringe festival poetry pop-up events that take place all the way through National Poetry Month in April. Our student festival tickets are offered free of charge – and your sponsorship will help us cover the costs for this.
Celebrating National Poetry Month
Sierra Poetry Festival marks National Poetry Month from the rolling foothills of California’s Gold Country to the rugged High Sierra, bringing our rich literary community together to celebrate the spoken word and reach out to brand new audiences in fresh ways.
Join the Sierra Poetry Festival family
Our Sierra Poetry Festival family is more than our presenter line-up. It is you, our audience members, sponsors, social media specialists, our videographers, photographers, caterers, and our many volunteers. You support Sierra Poetry Festival in many different ways, and we thank you.
