Could there be a more beautiful spot for poets and poetry than the sylvan glade of Pioneer Park?

Georgia Johnson doesn’t think so. “For 37 years I’ve driven across the bridge and past the park thinking, ‘we’ve got to get poetry happening here,’” she told listeners from the bandstand at the free “Make Me Wanna Holler” celebration sponsored by the Skagit River Poetry Foundation. “And now it’s happening!”

About 100 people of all ages enjoyed live music, live poetry and lunch in the park on Sunday, July 24. Three music sets and two poetry sets, including an open mic, showcased many talents. Poetry Foundation board members Johnson and Bob Rose, Mount Vernon poet Michael Daley, SRPF student poet laureate Lucy Shainin and others shared recent work. Culture fan Don Wick shared a few of his limericks.

After so many months of poetry readings on Zoom, watching poems being performed in person was a gift. So was chatting in the shade with people – still a novelty as COVID-19 variants persist. Facilitating connection was as important as the poetry, said SRPF director Molly McNulty.

“We wanted to celebrate summer in the town we love, with good food and good music, to build community,” she said.

More live poetry and music are planned when SPRF’s 11th biennial Poetry Festival takes place October 6-9. McNulty promises an exciting slate of poets and presentations that include Native voices like Ray Young Bear from Iowa; Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest, a member of the Lummi tribe and Sasha La Pointe, a member of the Nooksack and Upper Skagit tribes who is granddaughter of renowned educator Vi Hilbert.

Learn more at www.skagitriverpoetry.org