Whatcom Poetry News and Events
Save the date!
Salish Sea Poetry Festival
November 13-15, 2026
Salish Sea Poetry Festival 2026 Schedule
Friday 11/13
4:30 PM - 5:45 PM Karate Church
Festival launch and Calendar Poets reading
519 E. Maple St. Bellingham, WA 98225
(Free, All Ages)
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM Cafe Hazeltree
Typewriter Poetry
1135 Railroad Ave, Bellingham, WA 98225
(Free, All Ages)
7:00 PM - 8:45 PM Upfront Theatre
Poetry Pandemonium
203 Prospect St Ste 102, Bellingham, WA 98225
(Tickets required, All Ages)
7:00 PM - 7:45 PM Cafe Hazeltree
POETRY CRAWL: STOP #1: Kara Briggs + Ryler Dustin
1135 Railroad Ave, Bellingham, WA 98225
(Free, All Ages)
8:00 PM - 8:45 PM Mallard Ice Cream
POETRY CRAWL: STOP #2: Kiik Araki-Kawaguchi + Dayna Patterson
1323 Railroad Ave, Bellingham, WA 98225
(Free, All Ages)
9:00 PM - 9:45 PM Horseshoe/Ranch Room
POETRY CRAWL: STOP #3: Yzaura Vanegas + Robert Lashley
113 E Holly St, Bellingham, WA 98225
(Free, 21+)
Saturday 11/14
10:00 AM - 10:50 AM Taylor Dock to Boulevard Park
Floating Bridge Press reading & walk
(Free, All Ages)
11:00 AM - 12:45 PM Structures Brewing: Old Town
Poetry Collage Workshop w/ Crash Solo
601 W Holly St, Bellingham, WA 98225
(Free, All Ages)
1:00 PM - 2:45 PM Structures Brewing: Old Town
Youth Poetry Workshop w/ Kids Art for Climate Justice
601 W Holly St, Bellingham, WA 98225
(Free, All Ages)
2:00 PM - 3:45 PM Sweet Bay Cafe
Song & Poem Workshop w/ Nai Vignali
1327 N State St Ste A, Bellingham, WA 98225
(Free, All Ages)
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Sweet Bay Cafe
Jeremy Voigt and Kiik Araki-Kawaguchi
1327 N State St Ste A, Bellingham, WA 98225
(Free, All Ages)
6:00 PM - 6:45 PM Whatcom Museum Old City Hall
Echoes of Self by Yzaura Vanegas
250 Flora Street, 121 Prospect St, Bellingham, WA 98225
(Free, All Ages)
7:00 PM - 10:00 PM Whatcom Museum Old City Hall
Salish Sea Poetry Slam hosted by Mark Anderson and featuring Amber Flame
250 Flora Street, 121 Prospect St, Bellingham, WA 98225
(Free, All Ages)
7:00 PM - 8:45 PM Upfront Theatre
Poetry Pandemonium
203 Prospect St Ste 102, Bellingham, WA 98225
(Tickets required, All Ages)
10:00 PM - Midnight Sweet Bay Cafe
Late-Night Poetry Open Mic w/ Nai Vignali
1327 N State St Ste A, Bellingham, WA 98225
(Free, All Ages)
Sunday 11/15
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Poetry & Nature Walk w/ Danny Canham
(Free, All Ages)
11:00 AM - 11:45 AM Allied Arts
Poetry Church Live! w/ Brenda Miller, Dayna Patterson, & Elizabeth Vignali
1213 Cornwall Ave, Bellingham, WA 98225
(Free, All Ages)
12:00 PM - 12:45 PM Allied Arts
1213 Cornwall Ave, Bellingham, WA 98225
(Free, All Ages)
1:00 PM - 2:45 PM Cafe Hazeltree
Typewriter Poetry Workshop
1135 Railroad Ave, Bellingham, WA 98225
(Free, All Ages)
1:00 PM - 3:15 PM Pickford Film Center
So I Married an Axe Murderer - Buy Tickets
1318 Bay St, Bellingham, WA 98225
(Tickets required, All Ages)
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Mallard Ice Cream
Youth poetry reading w/ Kids Art for Climate Justice
1323 Railroad Ave, Bellingham, WA 98225
(Free, All Ages)
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Cafe Hazeltree
Community Open mic
1135 Railroad Ave, Bellingham, WA 98225
(Free, All Ages)
4:00 PM - 4:30 PM Cafe Hazeltree
Farewell & reading of “Whatcom’s Exquisite Corpse,” a community-written poem
1135 Railroad Ave, Bellingham, WA 98225
(Free, All Ages)
Past Events:
Poetry Crawl Series:
Fountain District, Bellingham
October 1, 2026
Presented by the Salish Sea Poetry Festival
Experience Bellingham Through Poetry
5:00 PM Zeek's Pizza
2416 Meridian St. Bellingham, WA 98225
Chuckanut Sandstone Writers
6:00 PM Doug's Burgers
2527 Meridian St. Bellingham, WA 98225
Red Wheelbarrow Writers
7:00 PM Goods Local Brews
2620 Northwest Ave. Bellingham, WA 98225
HamLit
8:00 PM Menace Brewing
2529 Meridian St. Bellingham, WA 98225
Open Mic
A Toast to Mom: Poems & Pints
A Toast to Mom: Poems & Pints
Where: Structures Brewing 601 W. Holly St.
When: May 10, 2026 12pm-3pm
What: Typewriter poets composing custom poems, poetry pole raffle, kid activities
How much: $15/poem; $5/raffle ticket
All Ages?: YES
Celebrate Mom at Structures Brewing on Sunday, May 10th from 12pm–3pm! Bring the kids and treat her to an afternoon of good food and brews, laid-back Bellingham vibes, and something truly special: poetry composed just for her by celebrated local poets with their trusty typewriters. Listen to live music, paint a rock for Mom’s garden, and enter our raffle to win a beautiful garden poetry pole. Open to the public, this fundraiser for the Salish Sea Poetry Festival is an ode to all those with a mothering soul.
Poetry Contest Celebration to be Held May 28th in Bellingham, WA
On May 28, 2026, winners of the 21st annual Sue C. Boynton Poetry Contest will be announced at a public recognition ceremony at Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 255 Harris Avenue.
The public is invited to enjoy the free festivities beginning at 7pm. There will be live readings by the 20 winning poets, artistic displays of their work, music and light refreshments.
More than 295 entries were received from throughout the county from poets young and old.
Chapbooks of the winning poems will be available for purchase at the event.
Ten of the winning poems will be etched on display stands on the Poetry Walk in front of
Bellingham Public Library downtown. In addition, poetry placards will be posted inside
Whatcom Transportation Authority buses; in schools, libraries and online.
Winners were selected by two distinguished judges, Sam Wallin and Rebecca Mabanglo-Mayor.
Sam is a poet, theatre artist, playwright and teacher and helped organize the Salish Sea PoetryFestival. Working for Whatcom County Library System, he also leads collage and poetry workshops.
A storyteller, author and performance artist, Rebecca has published non-fiction,
poetry and short fiction.
For questions about the May 28 celebration please call Event Chair Leslie Wharton at
360.221.4226 or email her at:
Sue C. Boynton Poetry Contest is a program of Whatcom County Poetry Series, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization. It was named for Sue Crocker Boynton, an early local resident who considered herself an amateur yet encouraged others to write.