APRIL 2026 | GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA
AMERICA 250 - 4th Annual BARD & Broadside: North Central Florida Poetry Festival
Celebrating 250 years of American Independence through Poetry
North Central Florida's Premier Poetry Festival is the only festival in North Central Florida dedicated to the art of poetry in all its many diverse forms. Held in the beautiful city of Gainesville, Florida.
Featured Poet
Sidney Wade, PhD is the author of 8 volumes of poetry, the latest of which is "Deep Gossip: New and Selected Poems." She is Professor Emerita at the University of Florida, where she taught poetry writing and translation for 21 years. She served on the board and as president of the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) for 7 years. She taught at the Sewanee Summer Writers Conference for 10 years. Sidney Wade lives in Gainesville, Florida and Rangeley, Maine.
Schedule of Events
In April 2026, Bard & Broadside Poetry Festival is bringing together the North Central Florida community and artists for collaborative sessions that will help you discover a new way to use your words.
All events are first come, first serve and FREE and open to the public.
Your generous contribution will help continue to bring programs like the Bard & Broadside Poetry Festival to our community free of charge.
This event is brought to you by, ARTSPEAKSgnv Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The organization's primary mission is to support literacy in youth and adults through the art of Poetry, Spoken Word, Storytelling, and Creative Writing. ARTSPEAKS promotes healthy communities by utilizing all forms of creativity and artistic expression through collaboration with educational and public health organizations.
Want to support us?
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Thank You to Our Sponsors
Funding for this program was provided in part by Visit Gainesville / Alachua County and through a grant from Florida Humanities with funds from the Jacarlene Foundation. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities or the Jacarlene Foundation.
For more information, contact bardandbroadside@gmail.com