West End Poetry Festival in Carrboro
Date: Thu, Oct 15, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Venue: Various Locations in Carrboro, Carrboro
Price: Free
Category: Community
The Town of Carrboro is hosting the West End Poetry Festival on October 15 to 17, 2026. All events are free and open to the public. The West End Poetry Festival is sponsored by the Town of Carrboro and is planned by the Carrboro Poets Council (currently comprised of Carrboro Poet Laureate Dr. Amanda Bennett, former Carrboro Poet Laureate Liza Wolff-Francis, Jay Bryan, Fred Joiner, Chad Knuth, Emily Shearer, Catherine Coan, and Paul Jones, with the assistance of the staff of Carrboro’s Recreation, Parks, & Cultural Resources Department and the support of the Carrboro Arts Committee and the Carrboro Tourism Development Authority. Venues include: Carrboro Century Center, 100 North Greensboro Street, Carrboro, NC Drakeford Library Complex, 203 S Greensboro Street, Carrboro, NC Steel String Brewery, 106A S Greensboro Street, Carrboro, NC Thursday, October 15 │ Steel String Brewery at 106-A S. Greensboro Street, Carrboro 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. – Join the Carrboro Poet’s Council for a reading & collaborative poem. Stay for a fun open mic experience! Come early to sign up starting at 6:30pm. Friday, October 16 │ Drakeford Library Complex at 203 S. Greensboro Street, Carrboro 5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. – Youth Writing Workshop with Chapel Hill Poet Laureate Donovan Livingstone 6:30 p.m. – 7:45 p.m. – Join us for a reception on the 3rd floor terrace. All festival attendees are welcome! 8:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. -Black Southern Kinship with Dr. Amanda Bennett, Carrboro Poet Laureate, in conversation with Mariah M., Vickie and Vianna Fornville (of G.L.O.W. Girls) Saturday, October 17 │ Carrboro Century Center at 100 N. Greensboro Street, Carrboro 12:30 p.m. – Join us for coffee and biscuits! 1:00 p.m. – Welcome from Carrboro Mayor Barbara Foushee, Reading by School Youth Poets Laureate, NC Youth Poet Laureate, a Poetic Justice League reading, and Farmer's Market Seedling Day Poems read by youth 1:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. – Kinship Poets Reading 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. – Coffee & Snacks, Publish
