One Word Poetry Festival to return this weekend
Rock Hill Poet Laureate Angelo Geter, the Rock Hill Poet Laureate Committee and Arts Council of York County are pleased to announce the fourth annual One Word Poetry Festival, taking place from Thursday, May 30 to Sunday, June 2.
The downtown Rock Hill festival has amassed more than 1,500 participants since its inception in 2021.
Many of the events are free and open to the public. Festival passes are available for $50, granting free entry into all festival events, or you may pay individually for the events that have a cost.
- The festival will kick off with a Youth Arts Showcase on Thursday evening, featuring music and poetry performances by local high school students.
- Friday night, “Vibes & Verses” is scheduled. The annual open mic featuring poets of every age and experience, as well as music by Rock Hill Hall of Fame band, “Mellogroove,” a food truck and beverages for sale from the Rock Hill Bottle Shop.
- Four free poetry workshops will be offered on Saturday, for youth, teens, and adults. Poets from across the country will compete in an epic poetic battle to determine who’s the “best of the best” at Saturday night’s Poetry Slam, with thousands worth of prizes up for grabs.
- Capping off the festival will be a Sunday brunch at The Gathering Place with a keynote reading by acclaimed poet Jay Ward, Charlotte poet laureate.
Additional festival sponsors include the South Carolina Arts Commission, Duke Energy, Comporium, The City of Rock Hill, The Women’s Art Initiative, Winthrop University English Department, York County Library, Dawn Johnson State Farm, The Rock Hill Alumnae chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc, The Kappa Alpha chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Slow Play Brewing, and The Society, Incorporated Supporting the Arts.
See the full schedule and purchase a festival pass or individual tickets at OneWordPoetryFestival.com.