Sun & Moon Poetry Festival

The Ohio Poetry Association invites you to the Annual SUN & MOON POETRY FESTIVAL The fifth Sun & Moon Poetry Festival will be held in beautiful Yellow Springs, Ohio. Join us as we celebrate nature and the cosmos through the art of poetry. The weekend will feature a number of workshops, a poetry walk around downtown Yellow Springs, stargazing, and more. Our keynote poet will be Geoffrey Landis, who will lead an all-access workshop and give a reading. PROGRAM SCHEDULE Most programs will take place at Glen Helen Nature Preserve, unless otherwise noted. Programs and performers are subject to change. FRIDAY, MAY 15 Morning program TBD 5:00–7:00 PM Registration & reception, Glen Helen atrium 8:00–11:00 PM Native American flute with Paul Nelson; Poetry and guided stargazing with Dean Regas and Lauren Camp, John Bryan State Park Observatory* SATURDAY, MAY 25 9:15 AM–12:00 PM Registration check-in, Glen Helen atrium 9:45 AM–11:00 AM Poetry workshop with Manuel Iris, Glen Helen auditorium 11:15–12:30 PM Haiku hike with Ray McNiece, Glen Helen preserve; poetry workshop with Lauren Camp, Glen Helen auditorium 12:30–2:00 PM LUNCH BREAK (a box lunch option is available at registration, see link below) 2:00–2:45 PM Sound bath with Deej/General Neptune, Glen Helen patio* 3:00–5:00 PM Keynote poetry workshop with Geoff Landis, Glen Helen auditorium 5:00–7:00 PM DINNER BREAK 7:15–8:00 PM Keynote poetry reading with Geoff Landis, Glen Helen auditorium 8:15–9:30 PM Haiku Death Match emceed by Dave Noble, Glen Helen auditorium SUNDAY, MAY 26 9:00–10:00 AM Poetry workshop with Paula J. Lambert, Glen Helen raptor center 10:15–11:15 AM Poetry panel moderated by Matt Birdsall, Glen Helen auditorium 10:15–12:00 PM Poetry walk featuring Cathy Essinger, Zach Hannah, Aimee Noel, & Deborah Strozier, downtown Yellow Springs 11:30 AM–12:30 PM Metafactory generative session with Dior J. Stephens, Ph.D., Glen Helen auditorium 12:45–2:00 PM Brown bag open mic emceed by Linc Schreiber, Glen Helen auditorium NOTES *In case of inclement weather, this program will move to the Glen Helen auditorium Geoffrey A. Landis is a poet, a science fiction writer, and a scientist. His writing has appeared in more than twenty languages, and his poetry has been published in magazines and anthologies ranging from The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction to The Journal of Humanistic Mathematics. He is the author of two poetry collections: Iron Angels and The Book of Whimsy, as well as the novel Mars Crossing and the story collection Impact Parameter (& Other Quantum Realities). He's won awards including the Hugo and Nebula awards for science fiction and the Rhysling award for poetry, and has been nominated three times for the Grand Master of science fiction poetry. His poetry ranges from the comic to the cosmic, and often (but not always) explores themes of science, nature, astronomy, and humanity. Registration closes on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, at 5 p.m. EST. Follow the OPA website and social media (@ohiopoetry) for updated details, including registration information: ohiopoetryassn.org/sun-moon-festival Financial support for the Sun & Moon Poetry Festival is provided by the Ohio Arts Council, Full/Crescent Press, Lit Youngstown, Lit Cincy, and through the generosity of Damon & Holly Brians Ragusa.