O, Miami Poetry Festival Celebrated 15th Anniversary Opening Week
- May 8
- 2 min read
This past April, the O, Miami Poetry Festival celebrated its 15th anniversary, once again bringing South Florida together through the power of poetry. The opening week featured a dynamic lineup of literary events, community gatherings, and interactive artistic experiences across the city.
Lunar-Inspired Launch and Book Releases
The festival kicked off on April 1 under the Full Pink Moon with a launch party on The Lawn at the Andaz Miami Beach. The evening featured a moon-themed open mic, telescope viewings, and a live reading by Mathias Svalina, marking the first day of his Dream Delivery Service in Miami. Attendees also received a first look at the 2026 O, Miami Full Moon Calendar, featuring new moon names and illustrations sourced through the "Moons for Miami" project.
The literary momentum continued on April 2 at Gramps Getaway in Key Biscayne, where O, Miami founder P. Scott Cunningham celebrated the release of his new poetry collection, Self Portrait as the 'i' in Florida, with a special homecoming reading.
Family-Friendly Poetry and Civic Publishing
On April 3, the festival hosted the fan-favorite "Poetry in Pajamas" at Pinecrest Gardens. Children stepped up to the mic to share original and published poems before an audience of pajama-clad peers. Set against dreamy décor by The Interknit, the evening included sensory-friendly play stations, a kid-run market, and a live performance by Miami electro-pop duo Afrobeta.
The following day, April 4, offered a packed schedule blending poetry with locomotion and independent print culture. Families gathered for the "All Aboard-Leggers" Free Saturday at the Gold Coast Railroad Museum, enjoying train rides, free books from Bookleggers, and on-site poem-writing activities.
Simultaneously, the festival participated in the Miami Zine Fair at Paradise Plaza in the Miami Design District. O, Miami and EXILE Projects celebrated South Florida’s civic publishing scene with the official release of Forager: A Subjective Guide to Miami’s Edible Plants. The afternoon also featured a "Words for Refreshment" poetry exchange, where attendees could trade a poem for local sodas.
The opening week concluded that evening at Books & Books in Coral Gables with the "Literally Everyone's Invited: Odes to South Florida" gallery opening. Presented in partnership with Gesi Schilling and the Books & Books Literary Foundation, the reception unveiled photography from artists featured in the new publication, capping off a vibrant start to the month-long poetic celebration.