Stroll of Poets is a non-profit organization that was first based in Edmonton after being founded in 1991. Shortly afterwards, a Calgary Stroll of Poets was created as well.
In its first 15 years of operation, the organization ran an annual one-day multi-venue performance poetry festival that took place in both Calgary and Edmonton. In recent years, the annual festival has been replaced by a monthly reading series in Edmonton. This year’s festival is taking place in Calgary at various venues in the Inglewood area.
Last year, our Program Coordinator Ashley Frerichs saw an opportunity to revive the Stroll of Poets festival in its original format in Calgary. This is the 2nd annual Stroll of Poets Festival in Calgary, and we hope to make it an annual tradition!
This event is funded by the City of Calgary. Other sponsors, supporters and community partners include The Confluence, Alexandra Writers’ Centre Society, and Calgary Public Library.
Artwork by Charlie Pearson
We are so excited to have the following curators on board for Sunday, September 7th:
Peter Katsnelson – 11:00 AM at The Confluence
Daniel Poitras (aka Dapper Dan) – 12:15 PM at Rosso Inglewood
Kyle Flemmer – 1:30 PM at Collector’s Gallery of Fine Art
MelVee X – 2:45 PM at The Next Page
Kayleigh Cline – Stroll of Poets Society – 4:00 PM at Madison 12|12
Shone Thistle – 5:15 PM at The Confluence
This is the first wave of open mic sign-ups for Stroll of Poets Festival on Saturday, September 6th at various venues in Inglewood, Calgary.
Members of the Writers’ Guild of Alberta, Alexandra Writers’ Centre Society, or Stroll of Poets Society can now sign up. The second wave will open to the public once members of affiliated organizations have been given a chance. No spots will be filled in person so please sign up below.
These are poetry open mics. Please prepare your reading to be no longer than 5 minutes.
Please only sign up for one slot. If all interested poets sign up and there are still slots left, we will notify you and you’ll be able to sign up for a second slot.
This year our open mics will be taking place from:
11:45 AM – 12:45 PM at Vegan Street (1413 9 Avenue Southeast)
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM at Rosso Inglewood (1402 9 Ave Southeast)
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM at Madison 12|12 (1212 9 Ave Southeast)
5:15 PM – 6:15 PM at Vegan Street (1413 9 Avenue Southeast)
Thank you for your interest in helping out at the Stroll of Poets Festival 2025. We are seeking reliable volunteers for the following roles:
Promotional Street Team
Saturdays in August: the 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th
Registration & Sales at the Kick-Off Brunch Event
Saturday, September 6th
Venue & Tech Liaisons at various Open Mics
Saturday, September 6th
To thank you for your time, all volunteers who show up and complete their shifts will receive complimentary tickets to the After Party event on Sunday, September 7th at Ironwood Stage & Grill featuring local hip hop artists KtheChosen, Sarah GoodMedicine, and local band Bluerock Junction!
*Some events may be subject to change. Please check back here for the latest details.
| Venue: The Attic | Venue: Rosso Inglewood | Venue: Vegan Street | Venue: The Confluence | Venue: Madison 12|12 | |
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11:00 AM – 12:00 PM |
Drag Brunch Kick-Off Event |
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11:45 AM – 12:45 PM |
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Open Mic at Rosso |
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1:00 PM – 2:00 PM |
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Open Mic at Vegan Street |
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2:45 PM – 3:45 PM |
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Free Workshop with Sheri-D Wilson |
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4:15 PM – 5:15 PM |
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Open Mic at Madison 12|12 |
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5:30 PM – 6:30 PM |
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Open Mic at Rosso |
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6:30 PM – 10:00 PM |
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Saturday Night Special Event (Coming Soon!) |
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| Venue: The Confluence | Venue: Rosso Inglewood | Venue: Collector's Gallery | Venue: Next Page | Venue: Madison 12|12 | Ironwood | |
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11:00 AM – 12:00 PM |
Poetry Curated by Peter Katsnelson |
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12:15 PM – 1:15 PM |
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Poetry Curated by Dan Poitras (Dapper Dan) |
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1:30 PM – 2:30 PM |
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Poetry Curated by Kyle Flemmer |
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2:45 PM – 3:45 PM |
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Poetry Curated by MelVee X |
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4:00 PM – 5:00 PM |
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Poetry Curated by Kayleigh Cline (Stroll of Poets Society) |
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5:15 PM – 6:15 PM |
Poetry Curated by Shone Thistle |
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6:30 PM – 10:00 PM |
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After Party! |
Friday, September 5th, 2025
4:30 PM to 6:00 PM
Central Library (Under the Archway)
800 3rd Street Southeast
Cost: Free (no registration required)
Join us in collaboration with Calgary Public Library for their series Gathering of Words for a special sneak peek preview event, featuring a surprise lineup of poets and information about what to expect at the festival.
Saturday, September 6th, 2025
Doors at 9:30 AM
Show at 10:00 AM
The Attic Bar & Stage
1413 9th Ave Southeast (Upstairs)
Cost: $35 (includes food)
Join us at The Attic Bar for the 2nd annual Stroll of Poets Festival kick-off brunch event! This year features a drag & poetry fusion performance with Shane Onyou & more. Tickets are $35 and include food.
Arriving on the Calgary drag scene in 2017, Shane has not only been a popular performer at Twisted Element, Fake Mustache at Dicken’s Pub, ISCCA events, or frankly anywhere with a stage but also serves as a frontline advocate in the 2SLGBTQIA+ Community.
Shane’s resume of service includes being a Royal Reader through Calgary Pride’s Reading with Royalty program, hosting online Storytime With Shane, supporting queer youth by providing paid stages for up-and-coming youth drag performers and sitting on various boards of directors including Okotoks Pride. Building a safer future for the queer youth of today is Shane’s highest priority, and you can frequently find him on podcasts, in interviews, photo essays, and various ad campaigns as he continues to fight for a more equitable world for all.
This event is sponsored by the Alexandra Writers’ Centre Society.
Saturday, September 6th, 2025
2:15 PM to 3:45 PM
The Confluence
750 9th Ave Southeast
Cost: Free (space is limited to 12 participants, please register using the form below)
Join us for a transformative workshop with award-winning poet and artist, Sheri-D Wilson where the page meets the stage. We’ll delve into the art of hybridity, fusing forms and genres to awaken new modes of expression. Through intuitive exercises and cross-disciplinary techniques, we’ll sharpen your creative instincts and help you channel work that speaks clearly and powerfully—from the source of your being. Find out more about Sheri-D here.
This special programming is in partnership with The Confluence.
Register here for the free workshop.
Sunday, September 7th, 2025
Ironwood Stage & Grill
1229 9th Ave Southeast
Doors at 6:30 PM
Show at 7:00 PM
Cost: $15 in advance or $20 at the door
Join us for the 2nd annual Stroll of Poets Festival after party at Ironwood Stage & Grill! Featuring hip hop artists KTheChosen and Sarah Good Medicine plus local blues/funk/rock band Bluerock Junction!
About the Featured Performers
Raised in Zimbabwe and currently based in Calgary, KTheChosen is your Friendly Neighbourhood Rapper who creates music that is both entertaining and enlightening. K (as he is affectionately known) believes in the power of storytelling and uses his voice to share the experiences of those around him. Since 2018, K has self-released several projects leading to him being named in the Herald’s Top 20 Compelling Calgarians for 2022 and nominated twice for the YYC Music AwardsRap Recording of the year (2022 and 2024). He is also the host and curator of Ship Hop, a quarterly hip hop showcase at The Ship and Anchor.
You can learn more about him here and follow him @kthechosen on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
Sarah Good Medicine is a Hip Hop Emcee and Deejay. She’s mixed White, Metis, Cree and Chippewa from Manatoba and North Dakoda and believes in being a good Aunty for her community in Mohkinstsis. She feels that using her medicine (her gifts) is why she, and all human beings are here: to use our medicine.
You can follow her on Instagram at SarahGoodMedicine & MC.MEdz
With their signature style of basement blues and rockabilly jazz, Bluerock Junction is emerging as a hidden gem in Calgary’s music scene. A classic power trio featuring drums, bass, guitar and vocals, they combine elements of 60s garage rock with raw blues and funk. You can find out more about them here and follow them on Instagram.