Denver Poet's Day Returns, Honoring Poets of the Mile-High Underground
On May 31, 2026, Denver Poets Day, a perennial poetry event over the span of the last 50 years, brings together poets of all stripes to celebrate local literary heritage.
The free and open to the public event runs from 10:30 AM - 6:30 PM at the Belmar Park Amphitheatre and features local poets Suzi Q Smith, SETH & Art Compost, Roseanna Frechette, Crisosto Apache, Ian Dougherty, Aerik Francis, Brian Dickson, Marissa Forbes, Amy Wray Irish, Maggie Saunders, Ashley Howell Bunn, Eli Whittington, Valerie Szarek, Aspen Everett, and many more.
The gathering lands on Walt Whitman’s birthday, and pays homage to the “Mile High Underground,” a poetry legacy which is varied, long standing, and still vibrant and thriving.
Poets Ted Vaca and Sean McAllister host.
The first Denver Poets Day was initiated in the 1970s by the Denver Society for the Advancement of Poetics team, John Munson, Jess Graf and Jim Bernath. In Ted Vaca’s words, the literary event was made of “a ragtag gang of poets who gathered at the Greek Amphitheatre between the State Capital and the Denver City and Council building to speak their poems aloud to whomever might hear.” The gang of spirited poets had one mission and aim, and that was “to speak their truths aloud to whoever would listen.” The group’s raw energy hailed from the “Mile High Underground,” and sought to bring into the public square what might otherwise be relegated to small press chapbooks one might find in one of Colorado’s beloved used bookstores.
Vaca has played many roles in the continuance of Denver Poets Day over the last 25 years, first as a student, and currently as a producer and host in partnership with Sean McAllister who writes “Poetry can beat up fascism, come join us,” on a Facebook post promoting the event, April 7, 2026.
Denver Poets Day makes a comeback after a bit of a hiatus. Vaca writes that he and Sean last hosted the event in 2017 in Cheeseman Park. Like many of Denver’s creatives, Vaca felt a deep loss when the iconic Mercury Cafe — which was founded by Marilyn Megenity on the Ides of March in 1975, and which became a hub for innumerous events, including Denver’s Mercury Slam and Open Mic* — changed hands and closed,
Vaca writes:
I found myself in a period of sadness and mourning. I wondered what I could do - with myself, with the community - and have a celebratory event. Denver Poet’s Day popped into my mind. Shortly thereafter, Sean texted me. He wanted to throw or gather a reading to celebrate Marilyn for her birthday. I heard him and threw out “How about Poet’s Day?” and he said, “Right on.” We began planning.
Event Details:
Date: May 31, 2026
Location: Belmar Park Amphitheatre,
867 S Yarrow St, Lakewood, CO 80226
Time: 10:30 AM – 6:30 PM
Admission: Free and open to the public
This event is a grassroots festival. Attendees are encouraged to bring comfortable seating, shade, picnics, and beverages. The organizers will provide electricity for performances and will be recording the entire day for posterity.
*While the Denver Mercury Slam lost its longtime home at the former Mercury Cafe, the legacy weekly slams and open mics have moved to Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Center, a space with “sick seating, good NA options and a great vibe“. To stay abreast of Mercury Slam events and calls for submissions, follow their Instagram page at @denvermercurypoetry.
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