Ocala Launches First Annual Art Park Literacy & Poetry Festival

OCALA, Fla. (March 16, 2026) - The City of Ocala, in partnership with the Marion County Public Library System, will host the first annual Art Park Literary & Poetry Festival on Saturday, April 11, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Tuscawilla Art Park, 213 NE Fifth St.

The free, family-friendly event is a new addition to the Tuscawilla Art Park Series and invites residents and visitors to celebrate the power of language, storytelling and creative expression through literature and poetry.

Festival attendees can enjoy a variety of activities and performances throughout the day, including:

• Local and regional author showcases
• Book sales and signings
• Literary vendors and nonprofit organizations
• Food trucks
• Community performances featuring the Marion County Public Library System, Community Stages and the Ocala Civic Theatre
• Live open mic poetry recitals featuring selected original works from 3:30 to 5 p.m.

The festival will also feature live music performances by nationally recognized artists:

• Def-i - an indigenous, award-winning hip-hop and spoken word artist who blends introspective rap with Native acoustic sounds. He has been featured on NPR Music, BBC and Sway in the Morning and has served as a U.S. Department of State Hip-Hop Cultural Ambassador in France, Nigeria and Colombia through Next Level USA and Coopdanza.
• Küf Knotz & Christine Elise - a hip-hop, soul and classical fusion duo known for combining lo-fi and boom-bap beats with classical harp and spoken word. The duo has been featured on NPR Music and Sugarshack Sessions.

In celebration of the festival, the first edition of "My Place, My Story: Art Park Literary and Poetry Book" will be available free to attendees while supplies last. The publication features selected poems from North Central Florida poets and Marion County middle and high school students inspired by their personal interpretations of home. Some of the featured poets will present their work live during the event.

"My Place, My Story" will also be available online through the Marion County Public Library's Biblioboard platform.

In the event of inclement weather, the festival will be rescheduled for Saturday, April 18. Updates will be posted on the City of Ocala Cultural Arts Instagram at @OcalaCulturalArts.

For more information, visit https://www.ocalafl.gov/poetryfest or contact the City of Ocala Cultural Arts Division at [email protected] or 352-629-8447.

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