The People’s Poetry Gathering, founded as a biennial event in 1999 by City Lore and Poets House, with Bowery Poetry joining soon after, assembles poets from New York City and beyond to pursue discourse, exchange, and cultural preservation through poetry.

In 2026, as the United States marks and contemplates the 250th anniversary of its founding, the Gathering returns to Lower Manhattan for the first time in twenty years. It will feature performances and workshops by an array of artists, including indigenous, folk, youth, and literary poets and musicians, free writing workshops, and open mics.

In the lead-up to the Gathering, City Lore and Bowery Poetry’s POEMobile will tour the outer boroughs projecting poems onto walls and buildings alongside live readings and music.