Forge the future of poetry with The Poetry Society of New York & help raise funds for The 15th Annual New York City Poetry Festival!

This year’s Spring Gala theme is a Bronze Age Feast & Cabaret. We’re mesmerized by myths passed down over millennia—from ancient memory to the modern day—stories that surface whenever someone needs meaning, guidance, or wonder. We also pay homage to the origins of oral-formulaic poetry: generations of rhythm, repetition, and rhyme that continue to manifest each year on Governors Island at The New York City Poetry Festival (NYC PoFest).

PSNY’s Spring Gala raises funds for NYC PoFest, the largest free event for poets in the country. For one weekend each summer in Nolan Park, poetry returns to its roots: not gated or ticketed, but shared freely—proudly, out loud—beneath open skies. If NYC PoFest is a journey toward shared meaning, creativity, and return—an Odyssey, one might say—then this Gala is the moment to gather strength and build the vessels necessary for the voyage ahead.

By supporting PSNY at our Spring Gala, patrons enact poetic metallurgy—working metaphorical fire, transforming raw material, and helping build structures sturdy enough to hold a community together.

Poetry truly takes a village. PSNY relies on collective support, care, and coordination to keep poetry thriving in public. This evening invites poets, poetry lovers, and poets-to-be to:

Invest in a living literary community
Support free public space for creativity
Build cultural infrastructure that lasts
Help ensure poets have a safe place to land each summer

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support!

Your donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. PSNY's Tax ID (EIN) is 47-3108566. Use this to recommend a grant from your Donor Advised Fund.

PSNY Spring Gala 2026

Forge the future of poetry with The Poetry Society of New York & help raise funds for The 15th Annual New York City Poetry Festival!