St. Augustine PoetFest 2026

Flagler College, Ancient City Poets, and the St. Johns Cultural Council present the 6th Annual St. Augustine PoetFest, a three-day poetry festival celebrating literary heritage and offering connections in the creative community, from Thursday, April 9, through Saturday, April 11, 2026. 

Except for an event at the St. Augustine Waterworks on Thursday evening, and an open mic at Relampago Coffee on Friday evening, all other events on Friday and Saturday are in the Ringhaver Student Center, 50 Sevilla Street, St. Augustine.

2026 Events

All Poetfest 2026 events are free and open to the public.

Day 1 — Thursday, April 9, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Festival Kick-Off:

Beat Poet Summit & Community Open Mic

St. Augustine PoetFest 2026 starts with a night of shared poetry at the St. Johns County Waterworks building at 6:30 p.m., presented by the National Beat Poetry Foundation.

• During the first hour, visiting Beat Poet Laureates (current or past honorees) perform their pieces.
• The second hour is a community open mic night, where you are invited to share your work. Sign-up for the open mic begins at 6:00 p.m. when the doors open. The first 10 who sign up have five minutes to share their poems. 

Admission: Free and open to the public.

When: Thursday, April 9, 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. Doors open at 6:00 p.m.

Where: The Waterworks, 184 San Marco Avenue, St. Augustine, Florida 32084 (Free parking available onsite.)

Note: While the address is 184 San Marco Avenue, the only driveway on San Marco is Exit Only. Access to the Waterworks is through the St. Augustine Main Library parking lot. (Use 1960 North Ponce de Leon in your GPS.)

Day 2 — Friday, April 10, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Day two begins at 9:00 a.m. and includes author discussions and a keynote presentation at Flagler College. In the evening, Flagler's English department hosts an open mic at Relampago Coffee Lab, 74 Spanish Street.

Flagler College Campus

Ringhaver Student Center — 50 Sevilla Street

• 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.—Ringhaver Student Center, first floor lobby: Book Bazaar and PoetFest schedule pick up.
• 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.—Ringhaver Student Center: Author Discussion and author talks. (See schedule below.)
• 4:00 p.m. to 4:50 p.m.—Ringhaver Student Center: Workshops and Keynote Presentation.
  • Speaker: Ray McNiece, Poet Laureate of Cleaveland Heights (2020 to 2023)

Relampago Coffee Lab — 74 Spanish Street

Open Mic Night, hosted by the Flagler College English Dept.

The Flagler English Department students and faculty invite you to join them for an evening of creative performances. Tucked away in the back garden of Relampago, this regular open mic includes poetry and musical performances. Sign-up starts at 6:00 p.m., with the mic beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Admission: Free and open to the public

When: Friday, April 10, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Where: Relampago Coffee Lab, 74 Spanish Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084 

(This event is slated to be outside on their back deck. No parking is available onsite—there are paid lots nearby.)

Day 3 — Saturday, April 11

Starting at 9:00 a.m. and concluding at 5:00 p.m., the final day takes place in the Ringhaver Student Center, 50 Sevilla Street, St. Augustine. The festival concludes in the evening with an awards ceremony and reception.

Flagler College Campus

Ringhaver Student Center — 50 Sevilla Street

• 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.—Ringhaver Student Center: Book Bazaar with displays by FLARE: The Flagler Review and St. Johns County Library
• 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (ongoing)—Ringhaver Student Center, first floor: Creation Ignition Station (ongoing, feel free to drop in and out and back again). In this interactive mobile workshop, you create your own mini-poetry chapbook using zine techniques.
• 10:00 a.m. to 2:50 p.m.—Ringhaver Student Center, Virginia Room, second floor: Several readings. (See the schedule below.)
• 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.—Virginia Room: Closing event featuring Norma Sherry, a Past City of St. Augustine Poet Laureate, and Ann Browning Masters, current St. Augustine Poet Laureate. The St. Johns County Cultural Council presents the winners of the county's "6th Annual Haiku Contest."
• 4:30 p.m.—Ringhaver Student Center, Tinlin Landing, 2nd floor: Celebratory Reception

Organization

Florida Beat Poet Laureate, Chris Bodor, is the main organizer of the St. Augustine PoetFest. Click the email button on this event page to contact his team.

Free Park-and-Ride Shuttle for 2026 Festivals

The City of St. Augustine provides a free park-and-ride shuttle service downtown during the peak spring break and festival season. 

For a no-cost, easy entry and exit from the Historic Downtown, use the free park-and-ride shuttles. The shuttle service starts at 11:00 a.m. on select Saturdays in March and April 2026, with an 8:00 a.m. start during the two parade days, March 14 and April 4, 2026.

Free parking is available at 198 & 212 West King Street, at the intersection of U.S. 1 and King Street—known as "Broudy's Lot." From there, shuttles run continuously until 9:00 p.m. each Saturday, dropping off and picking up people at the Visitor Information Center.

Paid parking is available at the downtown parking garage, next to Francis Field, on South Castillo Drive. Parking is available in the garage for cars displaying a handicap plate or placard. 

The full 2026 Park-and-Ride Shuttle Schedule

The start times of shuttle operation vary by date:

• Saturday, March 7, from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 pm.
• Saturday, March 14, from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. (St. Patrick's Parade)
• Saturday, March 21, from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• Saturday, March 28, from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• Saturday, April 4, from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. (Easter Parade)