Hot Springs Poetry Festival

06/16/2026

We are still looking for 3 LGBTQ+ poets to read an original poem at PRIDE Hot Springs!

Please share with your local neighborhood poets who may be interested! They can submit their poem at hspf.org/pride or message us directly.

06/15/2026

Although Arkansas has struggled with some of the nation's lowest literacy rates, this Reader's Map of Arkansas, with its 462 names, serves as a tapestry of literary voices rooted in this place.

"I arkansas," C.D. Wright wrote as an act of defiant self-definition. The creativity of the Natural State remains precisely and uncommonly expressed, and we are dedicated to celebrating the unique voices that help make this place one of a kind.

Arkansas's got something to say. 10 years later, maybe it's time to update the map? 🤔

06/12/2026

A poetry-themed Jeopardy round? Count us in, Ken Jennings!

An interesting request... 🤔

06/12/2026

Want to read a poem at Hot Springs Pride? We are looking for 3 poets to read an original poem at the festival on Saturday, June 27, 4-8pm. All participants will receive a free gift!

Sign up now and submit your poem at hspf.org/pride!

06/10/2026

We are happy to announce that the Hot Springs Poetry Festival returns November 1–8, 2026, and we're currently seeking participants, partners, and sponsors to help make this community celebration of poetry possible and free for all.

Ways to Get Involved
+ Host a workshop, reading, panel, or event
+ Participate in the Poetry Book Fair or Downtown Poetry Crawl
+ Become a sponsor or community partner

We also welcome: In-kind donations, Materials and supplies, Gift cards and giveaway items, Poetry Slam prizes, Venue partnerships, Promotional support and cross-promotion!

Free Opportunity for Local Businesses

+ Businesses can participate in our Downtown Poetry Crawl at no cost. We place poems in storefront windows throughout downtown the first week of November, helping bring visitors and foot traffic into participating businesses while celebrating local writers.

Sponsorship Opportunities

+ Packages range from $100–$1,500 and include benefits such as website recognition, social media promotion, festival zine advertising, event sponsorships, booths, and more.

Festival Impact

15+ events, 300+ participants, 50,000+ impressions, Free and open to the public!

If you'd like to sponsor, partner, donate items, host an activity, or learn more, we'd love to hear from you.

Sponsorship & Partnership Deadline: October 1, 2026
Email: [email protected]

Thank you for helping us make the literary arts more accessible throughout our community!

06/10/2026

Spa City Slam and Hot Springs Poetry Festival could not have happened without our presenting sponsor The Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa. The Fountain Room was perfect for some slam poetry!

KATV ABC 7 in Little Rock, Arkansas covers news, sports, weather and the local community in the city and the surrounding area, including Hot Springs, Conway, Pine Bluff, Jacksonville, Sherwood, Stuttgart, Benton, Bauxite, East End, Scott, Pinnacle, Maumelle, Gibson, Landmark and Hensley.

06/01/2026

Happy Pride Month, poets! 🌈

Audre Lorde, the Black-lesbian-mother-warrior-poet, says that "𝑷𝒐𝒆𝒕𝒓𝒚 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂 𝒍𝒖𝒙𝒖𝒓𝒚."

That is why we want to build a free, people-powered initiative that reflects the colorful spirit of our community, with your help.

Whether you submit to the zine, propose a workshop, volunteer or sponsor or attend an event, there's something for everyone. Let's join forces and make some magic happen!

𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒆'𝒔 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒗𝒐𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒅:

✍️ Submit to the Festival Zine: 𝒉𝒔𝒑𝒇.𝒐𝒓𝒈/𝒛𝒊𝒏𝒆
📋 Submit a Proposal (event idea, workshop, or book fair booth): 𝒉𝒔𝒑𝒇.𝒐𝒓𝒈/𝒋𝒐𝒊𝒏
🤝 Volunteer: 𝒉𝒔𝒑𝒇.𝒐𝒓𝒈/𝒋𝒐𝒊𝒏
📬 Subscribe to the Newsletter: 𝒉𝒔𝒑𝒇.𝒐𝒓𝒈/𝒔𝒖𝒃𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒃𝒆
📣 Community & Outreach: 𝒉𝒔𝒑𝒇.𝒐𝒓𝒈/𝒋𝒐𝒊𝒏
🎁 Sponsor or Donate: 𝒉𝒔𝒑𝒇.𝒐𝒓𝒈/𝒋𝒐𝒊𝒏

Pride in Poetry. Pride in Community!

05/25/2026

Subscribe to our newsletter and be entered into our first giveaway! 👀

We're talking poems in your inbox, automatic entry into future freebies, and the power to influence the festival through subscriber-only polls.

Subscribe today at https://hspf.us11.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=c66597468ec8f5866c9201fb2&id=2d53e5b749

Receive updates on festival events, featured poets, workshops, readings, and other special announcements!

05/16/2026

Hot off the press by Kai Coggin, Hot Springs Poet Laureate!
https://time.com/article/2026/05/16/the-luna-moth-that-saved-me/

"On April 25, 2024, I was walking in the Ouachita National Forest, with my wife and other Master Naturalists, studying mosses and searching for elusive lady slipper orchids in bloom, when we noticed a luna moth on the tip of a dried-up flower stem, dangerously close to a mountain bike trail. She was so still, I thought she was dead..."

Raising five generations of luna moths changed me, writes Kai Coggin.