Jazz Poetry Cafe

Carisa Brown brings her successful Jazz Poetry Cafe to St. Augustine on the fourth Friday of each month, March 28 through August 29, 2025, from 7:00 to 11:00 p.m. On fourth Fridays, the remodeled Willie Galimore Center is transformed into an upscale, discreetly lit cafe, complete with a stage.

The goal is twofold: to offer elevated entertainment and to create a venue for emerging artists to share their music and poems. The evening begins with the opportunity to chat and mingle at 7:00 p.m., before the entertainment starts at 8:00 p.m. 

Enjoy music by a group of musicians and vocalists performing jazz, R&B, and neo-soul, interspersed with presentations by poets and spoken-word artists. Finally, an open mic session welcomes emerging artists and serves as an audition for future evenings.

You can purchase food and soft drinks from a local food truck, and the event includes a cash bar. The VIP section, closest to the stage, has eight round tables that seat eight. Beyond that section, additional tables of eight offer general admission seating in a café atmosphere. A row or two of chairs in the back provide additional general admission seating.

Jazz Poetry Cafe started in Jacksonville and has expanded to Brunswick, Georgia, and St. Augustine, Florida. Their mission is to create an exclusively upscale and diverse environment. Patrons are expected to dress with style for the evening, in chic attire a few steps above shorts and flip-flops.

Admission: Tickets range from $22.00 to $38.00 per person. This is an adult event. Go here to purchase tickets.

When: On the fourth Friday of each month, March through August 2025, from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.

Where: Willie Galimore Community Center, 399 Riberia Street, St. Augustine 32084.