33rd Annual
*GRAND OPENING*
Poetry Marathon & Benefit!
Sat. & Sun., Jan. 30 & 31, 2027 | 10 am-10 pm
In person and livestreaming via Crowdcast
@ WOODLAND PATTERN'S NEW SPACE – 347 E. WARD ST, MILWAUKEE, WI 53207
COME CELEBRATE OUR NEW HOME IN BAY VIEW!
It’ll only happen once, so get ready to join us for the GRAND OPENING POETRY MARATHON at our new location at 347 E. Ward Street. This Marathon will be magmatic (and magnetic!), marking the first time our doors and chairs and shelves will be open to the public, and we’re already giddy just thinking about gathering everyone together again in exuberant and reverent camaraderie.
Registration for poets opens Sunday, November 1, 2026! Be sure to register early, not only to ensure your spot but also the time you prefer.
The 2027 Marathon, in keeping with the Marathons of the past five years, will unfold over the course of two days and 24 hours. The event will feature hundreds of poets, all reading live, and we will also be weaving in various surprises and screenings of short moving-image works from our aCinema series. And although we won’t be offering video appearances from poets this year, the entire event will be livestreamed via Crowdcast for those who are unable to attend at the venue.
This year we’re excited to have food available all day long for participants and ticket holders, hearkening back to the ongoing bounty of Locust Street Marathons. A light breakfast will be available, and we’ll have a buffet-style lunch and dinner. Snacks will be on hand for the hours in between. A special beverage opportunity is also in the works, so stay tuned . . .
Tickets will be $Give What You Can. Some suggested levels to consider:
Staying for a few hours and not partaking in food or beverage? $10
Staying for half a day and enjoying the catering? $25
Staying for a whole day and eating a couple of meals with us? $50
Spending your entire weekend with us and nibbling throughout? $100
That said, we want all Marathon-goers to attend for the love of community and poetry, so we reiterate: Please Give What You Can! (And if you are performing in the Marathon and raising funds, please know that your meals are on us!)
Tickets will be available to be purchased in advance (link coming soon!) or at the door.
REGISTER TO READ: Registration opens for all poets on Sunday, November 1, 2026. The deadline to register is Tuesday, December 15, 2026. "Open Registration" is for general participation. If you were invited to participate by a curator, please find your group under "Curated Hours." Before signing up, please be sure to check out our FAQs for Participants below!
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING WOODLAND PATTERN: In addition to being an extraordinary event and a beloved tradition for poets of all ages, our Poetry Marathon serves as a community-driven fundraiser that has kept Woodland Pattern going strong for decades, providing fuel for all our activities in the year ahead.
All participating poets are asked to attempt to raise funds among family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc., and/or via social media, with a goal of $50 on each reader’s behalf. Those contributions are then matched by a sponsor for the hour and supplemented by major sponsorships.
SPONSOR A POET: Click on the link below to sponsor a poet. You can make your donation on the behalf of a particular poet, or if you’re unsure who to sponsor, consider a “Pledge a Reader” donation. Money received through these donations will go directly to a poet who is unable to meet the $50 pledge goal. This is a great way to support Woodland Pattern and a poet—win-win!
If you prefer, you can also give us a call at 414-263-5001 or send a check donation to: Woodland Pattern, 347 E Ward St, Milwaukee, WI 53207. Please be sure to include the reader's name, if relevant.
SPONSORSHIPS
SPONSOR AN HOUR: Each hour of the Marathon is matched by a sponsor for that hour. To underwrite an hour of the Poetry Marathon, contact Programming Director Michael Wendt at michaelw@woodlandpattern.org or call the center’s main line.
SPONSOR AN HOUR: Each hour of the Marathon is matched by a sponsor for that hour. To underwrite an hour now, click on the link below. We can also accept sponsorships by mail or over the phone.
MAJOR SPONSORSHIPS: In addition to hour sponsorships, the Poetry Marathon is supported by major sponsors at the presenting, premier, and supporting levels. To inquire about major sponsorships, contact Executive Directors Jenny Gropp and Laura Solomon.
If you would like to learn more about sponsorships, please download our sponsorship materials below, or give us a call at 414-263-5001 or email us at info[at]woodlandpattern[dot]org.
FAQ FOR PARTICIPANTS
Thank you for taking part in this year's Poetry Marathon! Below is some basic information as you prepare for the event.
Q: What time should I show up for my performance?
A: You should arrive at Woodland Pattern at least one hour in advance of the hour you are reading in. Upon arrival, you will need to check in at the registration table, where you'll receive a wristband.
Q: Can my performance go over 5 minutes?
A: As always, each poet participating in the Marathon is asked to limit their performance to five minutes. Part of what makes the Marathon so special is the equality of time and attention afforded each participant and the variety of poets who appear side by side. Keeping your performance to five minutes ensures that everyone's voice is heard.
Q: Does it cost $50 to participate in the Poetry Marathon?
A: The Poetry Marathon is a community-driven fundraiser and we’re asking you—as a poet, a Marathon participant, and a member of Woodland Pattern's community—for your help! The $50 pledge is not meant to be an entry fee that you pay, but a fundraising goal to be met by asking others—friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, and/or businesses you frequent—to contribute on your behalf.
Q: I'm not sure if I can raise $50. What if I can't meet the pledge goal?
A: Fundraising can feel awkward. But with the right mindset, it need not. You may get turned down, but when you ask others to sponsor you, you are also raising awareness of Woodland Pattern's many free programs and of the value of poetry and the arts more broadly. (Finding sponsors is also a great way to recruit audience members to attend your performance!)
Click here for a list of fundraising strategies that have been successful for other participating poets in the past. In our experience, most of the time poets are able to find donations and meet the pledge goal, especially if they ask several people to pledge just a few dollars each. That said, any poet who is unable to meet the pledge goal will not be turned away.
Q: I'm on the waitlist. When will I hear back about whether there's a spot for me?
A: As cancellations occur, we will contact waitlisted poets in the order they signed up to see if they'd like spots that have newly opened. All waitlisted poets should hear back from us at least one week before the Marathon, but likely sooner.
Q: Can I stay for the whole Marathon? Do I need to purchase a ticket?
A: YES, Participating poets can attend the entire Marathon! And no, you do not need to purchase a ticket—just hold on to your wristband for re-entry.
PROGRAM SCHEDULE
Full details available in January!
Saturday, January 24th
10:00 am: YOUTH HOUR
11:00 am: COMMUNITY
12:00 pm: WEDNESDAY WRITERS
1:00 pm: PING PONG—CURATED BY NOMKA ENKHEE
1:30 pm: QWERTYFEST—CURATED BY TEA KRULOS & MOLLY SNYDER
2:00 pm: WISCONSIN WOMEN'S VOICE—CURATED BY LISA VIHOS
3:00 pm: WISCONSIN FELLOWSHIP OF POETS—CURATED BY ED WERSTEIN
4:00 pm: WISCONSIN POETS LAUREATE COMMISSION—CURATED BY ABAYO ANIMASHAUM & REGGIE FINLAYSON
5:00 pm: COMMUNITY
6:00 pm: MILWAUKEE KITCHEN—CURATED BY PAUL DREUCKE
6:30 pm: ACINEMA—CURATED BY TAKAHIRO SUZUKI & JANELLE VANDERKELEN
7:00 pm: LATINE HOUR—CURATED BY BRENDA CÁRDENAS & ROBERTO HARRISON
8:00 pm: COMMUNITY
9:00 pm: COMMUNITY
Sunday, January 25th
10:00 am: COMMUNITY
11:00 am: COMMUNITY
12:00 pm: TABI PO—CURATED BY SETH COPELAND
12:30 pm: THE BOOK DROP—CURATED BY ANGELA VORAS-HILLS
1:00 pm: COMMUNITY
1:30 pm: THE POETRY MOVEMENT—CURATED BY NICHOLAS RAVNIKAR
2:00 pm: RACINE & KENOSHA POETS—CURATED BY DEBRA HALL & JAY MOLLERSKOV
3:00 pm: COMMUNITY
4:00 pm: UWM CREATIVE WRITING—CURATED BY TEJA SUDHAKAR
4:30 pm: MILWAUKEE INSTITUTE OF ART & DESIGN—CURATED BY LESLIE FEDORCHUK
5:00 pm: OXEYE PRESS—CURATED BY JORDAN DUNN
5:30 pm: THE YEAR & FRIENDS—CURATED BY KAI IHNS
6:00 pm: COMMUNITY
6:30 pm: LYRICAL SANCTUARY—CURATED BY JOHN CONTRERAS
7:00 pm: COMMUNITY
8:00 pm: GENRE: URBAN ARTS—CURATED BY NAKEYSHA ROBERTS WASHINGTON
8:30 pm: MOODY THE ZINE—CURATED BY MELISSA MURSCH-RODRIGUEZ
9:00 pm: PITYMILK PRESS—CURATED BY CHELSEA TADEYESKE & EDIE ROBERTS
9:30 pm: WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER—CURATED BY KATHRINE YETS
Questions?
We acknowledge that in Milwaukee we live and work on traditional Potawatomi, Ho-Chunk, and Menominee homelands along the southwest shores of Michigami, part of North America’s largest system of freshwater lakes, where the Milwaukee, Menominee, and Kinnickinnic rivers meet and the people of Wisconsin’s sovereign Anishinaabe, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Oneida, and Mohican nations remain present.
We further acknowledge the iniquity and suffering colonialism introduced to these lands through genocide and slavery, as well as through racist and xenophobic beliefs, laws, and practices that continue to inflict harm upon Black, brown, Indigenous, and immigrant lives. We honor those who have lived—and live now—at these intersections of identity and experience.
347 E. Ward Street
Milwaukee, WI 53207
Phone: 414 263 5001
Hours: Temporarily Closed
Building Accessibility: Despite the age of our physical location, and attendant limitations to access, Woodland Pattern is committed to making its programs and facilities available for as many as possible. Please call for more information.
Events Accessibility: Woodland Pattern is able to offer captioning services for its online events and with advanced notice can provide ASL interpretation for live events. Please contact us with accommodation requests and questions.
© Woodland Pattern 2026