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

Worcester County Youth Encouraged to Make Contest Submissions

Weekend of Awards and Festivities to Follow at Polar Park in May

For the third consecutive year, the National Baseball Poetry Festival is announcing its two poetry contests, which are free to enter and open to young writers in grades 4-12 and adults ages 18+. Winning poets ¬ including 60 students and 20 adults ¬ will have the opportunity to perform their work at the Festival, scheduled to take place at Polar Park, May 2-4.

Events:
  • Park Tours
  • Readings
  • Friday & Saturday WooSox Games
  • Fireworks
  • See the full schedule HERE 

“Baseball is our national pastime and the sport through which we’ve told the American story for 149 years,” said Tim Murray, President & CEO of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce. “With our deep baseball roots, Worcester is the perfect home for this Festival. From the industrial baseball leagues of the 19th century to the legacy of ‘Casey at the Bat,’ our city has played an important role in the history of the game. We’re excited to see the Festival growing, and look forward to welcoming the nation’s baseball poets in May.”

The Festival aims to celebrate baseball’s unmatched stature in the arts ¬ literature, music, theater, film, opera and, especially, poetry. Among this year’s honored guests and featured poets are Ethelbert Miller, a Washington, D.C.-based writer widely recognized as the country’s most prominent baseball poet, Worcester Poet Laureate Oliver de la Paz, and Bill Littlefield, famed host of
“It’s Only a Game,” which aired on National Public Radio for 25 years.

The Festival’s Youth Poetry Contest is open to students in grades 4-12 and invites them to submit poems with a baseball or softball theme. “Poetry gives students a powerful way to express their thoughts, emotions, and creativity,” said Sarah Sanders, a teacher and librarian in the Worcester Public Schools. “And the Festival is an incredible opportunity to celebrate student voices.”

Sixty youth across three age categories ¬ elementary, middle, and high school ¬ will be recognized on May 3rd, and receive a certificate and t-shirt. Twenty adult poets will also be recognized and have the opportunity to present their work at the Festival, which serves as a capstone to National Poetry Month, now in its 28th year. The adult contest submission deadline is March 28th and the youth deadline is April 16th.

The Worcester-based Festival is guided by an executive committee, including Tim Murray, President & CEO of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce; Caitlyn Lubelczyk, VP of Marketing & Communications, Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce; Tim Loew, Board Chair, Worcester Guardian; Jake Sanders, Project Executive, Worcester Memorial Auditorium; Steven Biondolillo, President, Biondolillo Associates; Tony Cashman, Director, Distinguished Scholarships, Holy Cross; Pamela Gemme, Area Resource Coordinator, Commonwealth of MA, and Nancy Sackheim, National Baseball Poetry Festival Project Manager.

“We once again welcome so many poets to the City of Worcester and to beautiful Polar Park,” said Worcester Red Sox President Dr. Charles A. Steinberg. “We so admire this Festival, one we believe to be the only one uniting our National Pastime and the fine arts in this manner. We also relish this opportunity to inspire children to express their thoughts and emotions through this elegant art form.”

For more information, including contest details and event schedule, visit baseballpoetryfest.org.

About the National Baseball Poetry Festival

The National Baseball Poetry Festival is a first-of-its-kind event celebrating the intersection of baseball and the fine arts. The Festival serves as a platform to bring together poets, artists, and baseball enthusiasts to share their love for the game through the power of storytelling. With a strong commitment to education and community engagement, the Festival encourages literacy and artistic expression. The event takes place in Worcester, MA, a city with a deep-rooted baseball history and a growing reputation as a cultural hub.