JCPOFEST Founder & Creative Director, Melida Rodas
Poet Laureate of Jersey City 2025 – 2026
PRESENTS: VIVA! JOY AS RESISTANCE
VIP FESTIVE NETWORKING EXPERIENCE at The Stork Club
*with a COSPLAY ELEMENT
A gathering of local talent, Community Pillars, Local Businesses and POETIC LEGACY !
Date: Friday SEPTEMBER 25th 2026
Time: 7pm – 11pm
An exclusive gathering for select voices in poetry, publishing, and the arts.
Venue: The Stork Club
This unique evening brings together creatives, visionaries, and art-lovers in an immersive celebration of poetic legacy and lyrical brilliance. As part of the evening’s theme, we invite you to dress in bookish attire or attend dressed as a renowned poet or lyricist who has inspired you—be it James Baldwin, Bob Dylan, Maya Angelou, Ada Limón or any artist whose words have left a mark on history. In honor of the 250th anniversary of our nation’s independence, revolutionary-era costumes are also welcome—celebrating the voices who helped ignite the spirit of freedom and those whose books or words were once banned for daring to challenge the status quo.
Your VIP access includes:
An exclusive networking lounge
Passed Hors d’oeuvres
Cash Bar – Signature Cocktails
Participation in the Live Reading Circle (Limited to Those With Full Costume Who Arrive Early to Sign up)
Prize for Best Costume & Poetry Performance
An electric atmosphere enriched by poetry & art
Creative ambiance
The exchange of ideas
Camaraderie
Connections holding the potential for collaboration
Celebration of creativity and community