Nevada County to hold its 1st annual Sierra Poetry Festival

NEVADA COUNTY WILL HOLD ITS 1st annual Sierra Poetry Festival on the Nevada County campus of Sierra College on April 1, our magazine has learned. The festival will be presented by Nevada County Arts Council (NCArts), with support from the California Arts Council. “A poetry festival is a perfect opportunity to draw people together to learn more about and celebrate this art form,” says acclaimed local poet Gary Snyder.

The keynote speaker will be Dana Gioia, California Poet Laureate. Poets, writers and visionaries will gather for two days of readings, workshops and discussions. Besides the Nevada County campus of Sierra College, the festival will host events at the area’s cafes, bookshops and schools throughout the county in the weeks preceding it.

During the festival, in partnership with the County Board of Supervisors, the Arts Council will appoint the County’s first ever Poet Laureate. “The idea of a Poet Laureate sounds fantastic,” says Supervisor Richard Anderson. “If we can do something to expand on the literary arts in the community, then I’m all for it.”

The festival’s role is to integrate poetry into the community; enrich the education of young people; and enhance the county’s position as a cultural destination. “We want to hear from anyone who has bright ideas for our festival – this is an event for everyone, in which poetry in all its forms will take center stage as a spring board for National Poetry Month in April,” says Eliza Tudor, executive director at NCArts.