# Event Details - **Event Name**: Write Now Literary Festival - **Event Start and End Date**: Sat, 30 May, 2026 at 11:00 am – Sat, 30 May, 2026 at 09:00 pm (-04:00) - **Event Description**: A dynamic, all-day literary experience designed to celebrate storytelling, spoken word, and creative expression at every level.About this EventThe Write Now Literary Festival is a full-day celebration of literature, performance, and community featuring workshops, interactive experiences, an open mic, and a high-energy poetry slam.Throughout the day, attendees can participate in hands-on writing and performance workshops designed to build creative skills and explore different forms of expression. Midday includes a break for food and local vendors, followed by The “LIT”erary Game Show, a fun quiz-style competition where participants test their knowledge of literature in teams for prizes.The afternoon continues with the Write Now Fest Open Mic, welcoming poets, singers, and performers of all styles to share their voice in a supportive space.The festival culminates in the evening with the Michelle Gilliam Memorial Poetry Slam, a three-round competitive slam featuring 15 poets, live scoring by judges, a DJ, and featured performances by nationally ranked poetry teams and comedians. The slam includes structured elimination rounds, strict timing rules, and high-stakes final placements leading to a grand prize for first place.In addition to programming, attendees can enjoy food vendors, community engagement, and a vibrant creative atmosphere throughout the day.Event Highlights:6 creative workshopsLiterary Game Show competitionOpen mic performance showcaseFeatured comedy & slam poetry performancesMichelle Gilliam Memorial Poetry Slam (main event)Food vendors & Vendors*If you are looking for group or student discount ticket rates please call Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center to purchase your tickets*Slam Logistics:Participants are to report at 4:50pm to determine the order in which the poets present happens. Any poet showing up after the bout draw has started will automatically be assigned the earliest positions available.The second and third round will be done by random draw at the time of performance. There will be a sacrificial/calibration poet performing before the first and final round. The “Sac” Poets will be judged just as if they were competing in the competition and their scores will be recorded.All 15 poets perform in the first round, 9 poets advance to the second round, and 5 advance to the final round. If there are ties in either rounds 1 or 2, the tying poet’s dropped scores will be added back the poet with highest score will be selected to advance. If that does not break the tie, all poets involved in the tie will be cut.If there are any ties during the last round to decide placement, the tying poets cumulative scores for the entire will be used to determine placement. If that results in a tie, then all five sores from all threets will perform 1 additional poem a piece where the judges will no longer score on a point value but choose either destinated poet A or B to take that placement won.Agenda🕑: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PMWorkshop Block 1Info: Choose from two workshops to attend. 🕑: 12:00 PM - 12:30 PMLunchInfo: Purchase food from Food Truck vendors or explore options in nearby downtown Newport News. 🕑: 12:30 PM - 01:45 PMThe LITerary Game ShowInfo: Attendees are invited to participate in this quiz bowl style game where teams of five answer literary questions. The team with the most points wins!🕑: 02:00 PM - 03:00 PMWorkshop Block 2Info: Choose from two workshops to attend. 🕑: 03:10 PM - 04:40 PMWrite Now Lit Fest Open MicInfo: Sign up to perform in the open mic, or show support in the audience! All forms of expression are welcome, including spoken word, poetry, and song. Hosted by Q5. 🕑: 04:50 PM - 05:50 PMWorkshop Block 3Info: Choose from two workshops to attend. 🕑: 06:00 PM - 09:00 PMMichelle Gilliam Memorial Poetry SlamInfo: 15 poets will compete with their original written work. - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/newport-news/write-now-literary-festival/100001987135454637 - **Event Categories**: Art, literary-art, Workshops, Contests, Festivals, Entertainment, comedy, performances, Music, food-drinks - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 0 ## Ticket Details - **Ticket Price Range**: min: 33.85, max: 55.2, currency: USD ## Event venue details - **city**: Newport News - **state**: VA - **country**: United States - **location**: Downing Gross Cultural Art Center - **lat**: 36.984451 - **long**: -76.41250300000001 - **full address**: Downing Gross Cultural Art Center, 2410 Wickham Avenue, Newport News, United States ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: Write Now Literary Festival - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events5/banners/dd50a0e16ccaec1f23e215c85d4a1203c0fb5e115e3b6d5e626838166e2f87ba-rimg-w1200-h600-dc01a7a7-gmir.jpg?v=1776113363 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is Write Now Literary Festival being held? - **A:** Write Now Literary Festival takes place on Sat, 30 May, 2026 at 11:00 am to Sat, 30 May, 2026 at 09:00 pm at Downing Gross Cultural Art Center, 2410 Wickham Avenue, Newport News, United States. - **Q**: How much do tickets cost for Write Now Literary Festival? - **A:** Ticket prices for Write Now Literary Festival range from USD 34 to USD 55 depending on the ticket type. Here's a full breakdown of available ticket types:Ticket TypePriceAvailabilityGeneral AdmissionUSD 55 + USD 5 feeAvailablePoetry Slam AdmissionUSD 34 + USD 4 feeAvailable - **Q**: Who is organizing Write Now Literary Festival? - **A:** Write Now Literary Festival is organized by Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center. - **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me? - **A:** Write Now Literary Festival is ideal for festival lovers, culture enthusiasts, and anyone looking for a vibrant, immersive community experience. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in Newport News, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. 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Originally built as the Walter Reed School in 1917, our historic building has been restored and open to the public since October 2008.\r\nIn addition to the 276-seat Ella Fitzgerald Theater, we have rooms for meetings and events, as well as studio space for visual and performing arts. The Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center is a facility of the City of Newport News department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. " } ] } ] ```