National Baseball Poetry Festival Announces 3rd Year Celebrating Sports & the Arts

Start: Friday, May 2, 2025 4:00PM
End: Sunday, May 4, 2025 11:00AM

The Festival features performances from contest-winning poets—students in grades 4-12 and adults 18+—as well as appearances by baseball poets far and wide. Special guests include: • Ethelbert Miller – Acclaimed writer and the nation’s most prominent baseball poet • Oliver de la Paz – Worcester Poet Laureate • Bill Littlefield – Former host of NPR’s It’s Only a Game The free youth contest invites students in grades 4-12 to submit original poems with a baseball and/or softball theme. Winners will have the opportunity to perform their work at the Festival on May 3, 2025, and receive a certificate and a National Baseball Poetry Festival T-shirt. Up to 60 youth poets will be recognized across three categories: elementary, middle school, and high school. The adult contest is open to poets aged 18+, with 20 winners also receiving recognition at the Festival, as well as an opportunity to present their work alongside dozens of the nation’s baseball poets visiting from every region of the country. Poems will be evaluated based on creativity, originality, and style. Submissions for the Youth Contest are due by April 16th and the Adult Contest deadline is March 28. For more information, including contest details and event schedule, visit baseballpoetryfest.org.