The 12th Annual San José Poetry Festival continues!
This is Day Two of our four-day festival! This free Zoom event will feature Arnoldo Colibrí and Esperanza Cabrales and an open mic hosted by local poet Elizabeth Jiménez Montelongo as a part of the 2026 San Jose Poetry Festival!
RSVP for the Zoom link here
¡Cultura Poetry Night!
Friday, August 21, 2026
6:30-8:30pm Pacific Time via Zoom
¡Cultura Poetry Night! celebrates the culture of people who identify as Raza, Chicana/o, Indigenous, or from their country of origin, whose heritage is rooted in areas that are now Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America. A multilingual event with two featured poets, guest poets, and open mic! Everyone is welcome to participate in this inclusive event presented by Poetry Center San José, hosted by Elizabeth Jiménez Montelongo, in partnership with La Raíz Magazine.
About the Featured Poets
Esperanza Cabrales (they/them) is a queer Xicana slam poet, performer, jewelry maker, teaching artist, and educator based in Oakland. They lead poetry workshops through Bay Area Creative, working with TK through high school students. Esperanza organizes the Nepantla exploratory workshop series for QTBIPOC Creatives + Allies. Their work celebrates shared spaces, approaching emotions with curiosity, and the beauty of queer and cultural identities. IG: @nepantlainoakland @dreaming.eyeswideopen
arnoldo colibrí is a culture maker, artist, and writer living in Oakland. s a community-based poet, musician, visual artist, human rights organizer and a dedicated restorative justice practitioner/trainer. He has migrant roots that stretch from south Texas to the Pacific Northwest and is based in Oakland, CA (San Francisco Bay Area.) He is the editor and publisher of poetry and chapbooks such as, Poets against War & Racism / Poetas contra la guerra y el racism, and is the founder of Editorial Xingao. He runs the blog Art of the Commune. Website: www.arnoldogarcia.org // La Comuna: artofthecommune.wordpress.com // IG: @nepantlacomuna
OPEN MIC:
Day-of sign ups are available at the beginning of the event and just before Open Mic.
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Presented by: Poetry Center San José pcsj.org @poetrycentersanjose
Host: Elizabeth Jiménez Montelongo
IG: @elizabethjimenezmontelongo / FB: @ejmontelongo
Community Partner: La Raíz Magazine http://laraizmagazine.com
IG: @laraizmagazine / FB: @laraizmag
Image: detail of artwork by Elizabeth Jiménez Montelongo
#palabrasandpoetry #pcsj #laraizmagazine #poetryworkshop #multilingualpoetry #spanglishpoetry #ezln #zapatista principles#chicanapoet #chicanopoetry #laculturacura
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San José Poetry Festival 2025 is presented by Poetry Center San José and sponsored in part by a Cultural Affairs grant from the City of San José; a grant from SVCreates, in partnership with the County of Santa Clara and the California Arts Council; and additional support from Anne & Mark’s Art Party and the Brandenburg Family Foundation. Many thanks to Four Points by Sheraton for hotel accommodations and Robertino R. Ragazza for his guidance and hospitality. We would like to acknowledge and offer our deepest gratitude to past and current venues worthy of your support: San Jose Stage, Central Park Library Santa Clara, Convergence Arts Center, SJZ Break Room, Art Boutiki, Books Inc., Caravan Lounge, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, First Unitarian Church of San José, History/San José, MACLA, Mama Kin, Recycle Bookstore, The School of Arts and Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza, Tabard Theatre (R.I.P.), Willow Glen Public Library, Works/San José art & performance center and Hillbrook Upper School of San José. Please support these spaces however you can. And we thank all our volunteers whose time and effort make this festival possible.