Nuyorican Poets Cafe

Nuyorican Poets Cafe Exec. Director:
Our programs continue in different venues despite being closed for renovations. Visit NUYORICAN.ORG for tickets & info

three-year countdown is one step closer to its finale! Just this week contractors have begun installing new windows an...
06/03/2026

three-year countdown is one step closer to its finale!

Just this week contractors have begun installing new windows and elevators to make all five floors of our home ADA compliant and accessible!

If you want to see what the new and improved cafe looks like, donate by June 9th to be automatically enrolled to participate in an exclusive virtual site tour.

Check out our June digital calendar! 💿💿Though we may be offsite, our OG’s can expect the same freedom, the same artistic...
06/02/2026

Check out our June digital calendar! 💿💿

Though we may be offsite, our OG’s can expect the same freedom, the same artistic trailblazing, and the same awesome community that was first developed half a century ago by our legendary founders! Though the world moves on every day, the Nuyorican Poets Cafe is here to stay! 🙇🏾‍♀️🙇🏾

MON: This Monday’s Nuyorican Bowery Slam is hosted by 💥🏙️ Winners are given a $20 cash prize and invited to compete in ...
06/01/2026

MON: This Monday’s Nuyorican Bowery Slam is hosted by 💥🏙️ Winners are given a $20 cash prize and invited to compete in our Final Friday Slam for a prize of $100. Final Friday winners also get a feature at a Nuyorican Open Mic and nominate themselves for our $1000 Grand Slam!

WED: June 3rd at 6pm, Womxn Orator Wednesday .center will be hosted by our Nuyorican 2024 Grand Slam Winner and feature . Signups only occur in-person and are limited to 15 guaranteed spots for those who arrive prior to 7pm, so arrive early to secure yours. Tickets are $10 in-person and recorded for FREE viewing on our YouTube page.

THU: Tune into The Online Open Mic hosted by 🎙️ This week’s theme is The Garden Grows (Cultivate Everything). Sign up and reserve one of 20 limited Artist RSVPs on Wed 8pm ET, available within 24 hours before showtime!

THURS & FRI: We heard you wanted more workshops, so we are delivering! Join us next week for two FREE workshops in collaboration with NYPL. Thursday, June 4th, catch us in Midtown Manhattan at the 58th Street Library facilitated by Elisabet Velasquez ; Friday, June 5th, we’re heading uptown to The Bronx at the Riverdale Library facilitated by Ramya Ramana ⭐️✍🏽Check our calendar for more information!

NOTICE: By attending and/or participating in events by the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, you acknowledge that your voice and/or likeness may be recorded and/or photographed.

Don’t forget to subscribe to our mailing list for awesome Nuyorican FREEBIES like discounts, first access to exclusive events, and to be the first to find out about news pertaining to our 2026 and

The first Wednesday of every month is our Womxn Orator Wednesday hosted by the Nuyorican 2024 Grand Slam Champion and f...
05/31/2026

The first Wednesday of every month is our Womxn Orator Wednesday hosted by the Nuyorican 2024 Grand Slam Champion and featuring 🎙️ Signups occur in person only and are limited to 15 guaranteed spots for those who arrive prior to 7pm, so arrive early to secure yours.

PLEASE NOTE: In order to foster a safer and more intimate space for sharing and bonding amongst participants, we will no longer be streaming/filming our WOW events! For those of you who have skipped out to avoid the cameras, now's the time to come and connect 💥

Tix are only $10 to participate! Get your ticket at the door or order online today at nuyorican.org/calendar This project is made possible in part through the Mid Atlantic Folk and Traditional Arts - Community Projects program of Mid Atlantic Arts with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

We heard you wanted more workshops, so we are delivering! Join us next week for two FREE workshops in collaboration with...
05/29/2026

We heard you wanted more workshops, so we are delivering! Join us next week for two FREE workshops in collaboration with Thursday, June 4, catch us in Midtown Manhattan at the 58th Street Library facilitated by Elisabet Velasquez ; Friday, June 5, we’re heading uptown to The Bronx at the Riverdale Library facilitated by Ramya Ramana ⭐️✍🏽 Check our calendar for more information!

05/26/2026

Wednesday May 27th, take your performance art to the next level! Sign up for The Nuyorican Open Mic .center hosted by 🎙️ You'll get to perform in a professional studio setting and elevate your work. Signups only occur in person and are limited to 15 guaranteed spots for those who arrive prior to 7pm, so arrive early to secure yours! Tix can be bought online at nuyorican.org/calendar or in person!

MON: This Monday’s Nuyorican Bowery Slam is hosted by 💥🏙️ Winners are given a $20 cash prize and invited to compete in ...
05/25/2026

MON: This Monday’s Nuyorican Bowery Slam is hosted by 💥🏙️ Winners are given a $20 cash prize and invited to compete in our Final Friday Slam for a prize of $100. Final Friday winners also get a feature at a Nuyorican Open Mic and nominate themselves for our $1000 Grand Slam!

WED: May 27th, take your performance art to the next level! Sign up for The Nuyorican Open Mic .center hosted by 🎙️ You'll get to perform in a professional studio setting and elevate your work! Signups occur in person only and are limited to 15 guaranteed spots for those who arrive prior to 7pm, so arrive early to secure yours!

THU: Tune into The Online Open Mic hosted by 🎙️ This week’s theme is Architects (Building a Better World). Sign up and reserve one of 20 limited Artist RSVPs on Wed 8pm ET, available within 24 hours before showtime!

FRI: The Final Friday Slam Co-Hosted by and is going down May 29th .center and featuring ! Winner receives $100, a feature in a Nuyorican Poets Cafe Open Mic .center and a nomination to compete in 2026’s Grand Slam!! Get your tix today at nuyorican.org/ffs

SAT: The Writopia Teen Open Mic is better than ever. Hosted by teens for teens! and invite all teen poets to come by and share their performance pieces. Admission is FREE!

NOTICE: By attending and/or participating in events by the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, you acknowledge that your voice and/or likeness may be recorded and/or photographed.

Don’t forget to subscribe to our mailing list for awesome Nuyorican FREEBIES like discounts, first access to exclusive events, and to be the first to find out about news pertaining to our 2026 and

Photo Creds:

On March 24, 1987, the first Loisaida Festival brought together the diaspora of Puerto Rican culture, community and mus...
05/25/2026

On March 24, 1987, the first Loisaida Festival brought together the diaspora of Puerto Rican culture, community and music. The festival was established to commemorate the renaming of Avenue C to “Loisaida Avenue.” The term “Loisaida,” a phonetic rendering of the Spanish pronunciation of “Lower East Side,” which was coined by cultural guardian, Bimbo Rivas, more than 50 years ago. At the time, the Lower East Side was facing abandonment, disinvestment, and neglect. The term became a declaration of belonging and his poem “Loisaida” captured the soul of a neighborhood, rich in Boricua heritage, and fueled by dreams of justice, culture, and unity. The Loisaida Festival serves as a way to protect pieces of Boricua history from erasure, and today, the 39th Annual Festival continues that legacy.

On Saturday, May 30th from 4PM-6PM, our Teen Open Mic is in full swing. We are holding this event in special collaborati...
05/24/2026

On Saturday, May 30th from 4PM-6PM, our Teen Open Mic is in full swing. We are holding this event in special collaboration with , , and , through which teens will be given a chance to share/practice their art in front of a live, supportive audience. The event is FREE for all teens. Adults are encouraged to make a $10 donation.

In-person tickets are available at the LOW PRICE of $25!! There may even be some free refreshments for those that arrive...
05/21/2026

In-person tickets are available at the LOW PRICE of $25!! There may even be some free refreshments for those that arrive early 🤫

The Nuyorican’s Final Friday Slam is going down May 29th .center ! 🇵🇷🎙️This wonderful event is Co-Hosted by and and featuring the wonderful ⭐️

This is your chance to see Nuyorican Bowery Slam winners battle it out in head-to-head matches! Winner receives $100, a feature in The Nuyorican Open Mic .center and a nomination to compete in 2026’s Grand Slam! Whether you’re a New Yorker or a poetry lover from afar, mark your calendars and get ready to experience the magic of the Final Friday Slam. Get your tix today at nuyorican.org/ffs

Finally, don’t be afraid to show up to the after party and celebrate the night’s champion in one of the most cozy literary bars in the city!

Thanks to for supporting this project through their Program, allowing us to improve our technology infrastructure so we can connect with expanded audiences through our online platforms.

05/20/2026

We know you want our slam team to dominate Southern Fried this summer. But they need YOUR support to make it happen? 👀

Travel costs, housing, food, and much more are tough to afford for a nonprofit. Donate to the slam team today by checking out our links in BIO or by adding the note "Slam Team" under your cafe donation. All proceeds will go to our beloved poets, to ensure they can comfortably make it to the national slam stage and focus on the win!

05/19/2026

Artists Like are operating at the absolute peak of their game when it comes to our Final Friday Slam. Have you purchased your tickets for our May 29th’s show yet? Links are in Bio 🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷

05/17/2026

Wednesday May 20th, take your performance art to the next level! Sign up for The Nuyorican Open Mic .center hosted by 🎙️ You'll get to perform in a professional studio setting and elevate your work. Signups only occur in person and are limited to 15 guaranteed spots for those who arrive prior to 7pm, so arrive early to secure yours! Tix can be bought online at nuyorican.org/calendar or in person! This week we proudly feature March 2026’s Final Friday Winner .Kamayera

Be nice to our crew pls. 🥺👉👈We were all kids one day. At the Final Friday Slam May 29th .center we will heal that inner ...
05/15/2026

Be nice to our crew pls. 🥺👉👈

We were all kids one day. At the Final Friday Slam May 29th .center we will heal that inner child with beautiful poetry and the companionship of our beloved community (the free wine helps too).

If you’re up to it, wear something that represents your inner child!

05/10/2026

Wednesday May 13th, take your performance art to the next level! Sign up for The Nuyorican Open Mic .center hosted by 🎙️ You'll get to perform in a professional studio setting and elevate your work. Signups only occur in person and are limited to 15 guaranteed spots for those who arrive prior to 7pm, so arrive early to secure yours! Tix can be bought online at nuyorican.org/calendar or in person!

05/08/2026

Hello?! did his thing at our Nuyorican Bowery Slam!

It’s messages like these that really get our blood pumping. Habib uses his poetry as the glue to connect the past with the present, and audiences love it!

The Nuyorican Poets Cafe stands with indigenous people the world over. We’re all in this together!

05/05/2026

Barrio BX and presents the Cinco de Mayo comedy open mic hosted by La Bruja with standup comedy by Ruperto Vanderpool .

Share your comedy on the open mic because laughter is revolutionary! FREE! No RSVP needed. Signup upon arrival, all styles welcome.

The first Wednesday of every month is our Womxn Orator Wednesday hosted by the Nuyorican 2024 Grand Slam Champion and f...
05/03/2026

The first Wednesday of every month is our Womxn Orator Wednesday hosted by the Nuyorican 2024 Grand Slam Champion and featuring .nyc 🎙️ Signups occur in person only and are limited to 15 guaranteed spots for those who arrive prior to 7pm, so arrive early to secure yours.

PLEASE NOTE: In order to foster a safer and more intimate space for sharing and bonding amongst participants, we will no longer be streaming/filming our WOW events! For those of you who have skipped out to avoid the cameras, now's the time to come and connect 💥

Tix are only $10 to participate! Get your ticket at the door or order online today at nuyorican.org/calendar This project is made possible in part through the Mid Atlantic Folk and Traditional Arts - Community Projects program of Mid Atlantic Arts with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

05/02/2026

Imani’s showing at this month’s Final Friday Slam was nothing short of phenomenal! His work in the legal field definitely informs several of his poems shown by his second poem of the night. He wowed the crowd with his comparison of the similarities between the system of chattel slavery and modern policing; with a secret touch on top that brought the allegory all together. If this topic interests you at all, you missed out on an amazing series of performances from our April Final Friday Champion.

We’re so glad to see Imani shine after his shows of dedication at many of our Monday Slams, and hope to see his efforts in the field bring him to even greater heights. Follow Imani on and show him some love.

The Nuyorican Poets Cafe is bringing back our classic calendar, only this time, it’s digital! 💿💿That means that despite ...
05/01/2026

The Nuyorican Poets Cafe is bringing back our classic calendar, only this time, it’s digital! 💿💿

That means that despite being in a new setting, our OG’s can expect the same freedom, the same artistic trailblazing, and the same awesome community that was first developed half a century ago by our legendary founders! Though the world moves on every day, the Nuyorican Poets Cafe is here to stay! 🙇🏾‍♀️🙇🏾

MON: This Monday’s Nuyorican Bowery Slam is hosted by _thoughts Winners are given a $20 cash prize and invited to comp...
04/27/2026

MON: This Monday’s Nuyorican Bowery Slam is hosted by _thoughts Winners are given a $20 cash prize and invited to compete in our Final Friday Slam for a prize of $100. Final Friday winners also get a feature at a Nuyorican Open Mic and nominate themselves for our $1000 Grand Slam!

MON: Join us for another week of incredible, FREE workshops in collaboration with This week we have (Mon) with .Anderson (Tues) with (Thurs) with at the 58th Street Library & (Thurs) with at the 58th Street Library, where will be helping you write poems worthy of a blessed “RUN THAT BACK!!”🗣️

WED: April 29th, take your performance art to the next level! Sign up for The Nuyorican Open Mic .center hosted by 🎙️ You'll get to perform in a professional studio setting and elevate your work! Signups occur in person only and are limited to 15 guaranteed spots for those who arrive prior to 7pm, so arrive early to secure yours!

THU: Tune into The Online Open Mic hosted by 🎙️ This week’s theme is Infinity Ink (Write Beyond Time). Sign up and reserve one of 20 limited Artist RSVPs on Wed 8pm ET, available within 24 hours before showtime!

Don’t forget to subscribe to our mailing list for awesome Nuyorican FREEBIES like discounts, first access to exclusive events, and to be the first to find out about news pertaining to our 2026 and

NOTICE: By attending and/or participating in events by the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, you acknowledge that your voice and/or likeness may be recorded and/or photographed.

Wednesday April 29th, take your performance art to the next level! Sign up for The Nuyorican Open Mic .center hosted by ...
04/26/2026

Wednesday April 29th, take your performance art to the next level! Sign up for The Nuyorican Open Mic .center hosted by 🎙️ You'll get to perform in a professional studio setting and elevate your work. Signups only occur in person and are limited to 15 guaranteed spots for those who arrive prior to 7pm, so arrive early to secure yours! Tix can be bought online at nuyorican.org/calendar or in person!

On Sunday, April 26th at 12:30pm, there will be a screening of the full three episodes of Conbody vs. Everybody. Directe...
04/25/2026

On Sunday, April 26th at 12:30pm, there will be a screening of the full three episodes of Conbody vs. Everybody. Directed by Debra Granik, focused on the story of the Conbody Founder in the Lower East Side, Coss Marte. Conbody vs Everybody is an immersive portrait of life after prison, and the steep obstacles that ex-cons face as they try to re-enter a society that does not welcome them. There will be an intermission and a Q&A following the screening with Oscar-Nominated Director, Debra Granik, Founder of Conbody, Coss Marte, moderated by Emmy-winning poet and Executive Director of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, Caridad De La Luz "La Bruja'. This event will take place at Metrograph, 7 Ludlow Street just above Canal Street, NYC.

April 22, 1969 was a defining moment in student activism at the City College of New York. The South Campus was taken ove...
04/23/2026

April 22, 1969 was a defining moment in student activism at the City College of New York. The South Campus was taken over by the Black and Puerto Rican Student Caucus, with the Five Demands as their call to action. The Five Demands addressed the key issues of educational access & racial inequality at City College of New York. The demands were first created by the caucus in February 1969 as a direct response to proposed budget cuts which threatened necessary programs for underrepresented students, such as the SEEK Program.

Prior to the April protests, the CCNY administration was resistant to acknowledging all of the concerns of Black & Puerto Rican students. In efforts to appease the unrest, the administration agreed to one demand of requiring Spanish language classes for all education majors starting in September 1969. This attempt at negotiation was not enough for the students because it demonstrated that the CCNY administration was ignoring much larger issues of systemic inequality within the educational system & resulted in the protests that took place on April 22nd & continued for two weeks on the South Campus. Students were not able to attend classes and on April 28th, it was announced that CCNY would remain closed until a settlement was reached with the Black & Puerto Rican students.

Negotiations were interrupted after a court order was issued to reopen the college & by the arrival of police. Despite the negotiations being incomplete, the results of the Five Demands were seen on campus within the next two years after the protests. Along with the Spanish language requirement for all education majors, courses in Black & Puerto Rican heritage were established. Black & Puerto Rican students were also given a voice when it came to implementations of necessary programs, such as the SEEK Program & a separate department of Urban and Ethnic Studies was established at CCNY in the fall of 1969. Slowly but surely, all of the Five Demands were met, with the implementation of open admissions starting in 1970, proving that the 1969 protests paved the way for reform and reminds us that coming together & refusing to be ignored is the ideal way to effect change.

The Writopia Teen Open Mic is better than ever. Hosted by teens for teens! and invite all teen poets to come by and sh...
04/21/2026

The Writopia Teen Open Mic is better than ever. Hosted by teens for teens! and invite all teen poets to come by and share their performance pieces. Admission is FREE!

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