#5Poets5Parks
Join Metroparks Toledo for #5poets5parks in celebration of National Poetry Month on Friday, April 3, 2026 at Glass City Metropark. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
Metroparks Toledo is celebrating National Poetry Month by spotlighting five poets who have written poems in honor of five Toledo Metroparks. A collaborative initiative designed to amplify efforts in eco-awareness and conservation, each poet will read their work as part of the April 4 ceremony at Glass City Metropark, Glass City Pavilion. Opening at 5:30 p.m., the event will showcase poems, a slideshow of photographs from each of the Metroparks, and original letterpress prints of the poets’ work. A signing and light refreshments will follow.
Hosted by Georgia Author of the Year Poetry Finalist, Atlanta poet, and Toledo native, Julie E. Bloemeke, the #5poets5parks celebration will feature the work of award-winning Toledo poets:
- Melba Joyce Boyd
- Dior J. Stephens
- Ruelaine Stokes
- Grace Guy
- Charles Malone
The poems will highlight:
- Cannonball Prairie
- Howard Marsh Preserve
- Middlegrounds
- Toledo Botanical Garden
- Wiregrass Lake
Sven Olaf Nelson, founder of Pineapple Press and Design, will create original letterpress postcards of the poems expressly for the event.
Christy Frank, an award-winning filmmaker, photo journalist and writer based in the Great Lakes region will be the featured photographer.