Inaugural event coming to Ocala

Küf Knotz & Christine Elise [Photo courtesy city of Ocala]

The city of Ocala, in partnership with the Marion County Public Library System, will host the first ever Art Park Literary & Poetry Festival on April 11 at the Tuscawilla Art Park at 213 NE Fifth St., Ocala.

The free, family-friendly event is a new addition to the Tuscawilla Art Park Series and invites residents and visitors to celebrate the power of language, storytelling and creative expression through literature and poetry, the news release noted.

The event will include local and regional author showcases, book sales and signings, literary vendors and nonprofit organizations and food trucks.

Community performances will feature the Marion County Public Library System, Community Stages and Ocala Civic Theatre.

The event is slated to run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Live open mic poetry recitals featuring selected original works will take place from 3:30 to 5 p.m.

The festival will also feature music performances by nationally recognized artists:

• Def-I, an indigenous, award-winning hip-hop and spoken word artist who blends introspective rap with native acoustic sounds. He has been featured on NPR Music, BBC and Sway in the Morning and has served as a U.S. Department of State Hip-Hop Cultural Ambassador in France, Nigeria and Colombia through Next Level USA and Coopdanza.
• Küf Knotz & Christine Elise, a hip-hop, soul and classical fusion duo known for combining lo-fi and boom-bap beats with classical harp and spoken word. The duo has been featured on NPR Music and Sugarshack Sessions.

In celebration of the festival, the first edition of the “My Place, My Story: Art Park Literary and Poetry Book” will be available free to attendees while supplies last. The publication features selected poems from North Central Florida poets and Marion County middle and high school students inspired by their personal interpretations of home. Some of the featured poets will present their work live during the event.

“My Place, My Story” will also be available online through the Marion County Public Library’s Biblioboard platform.

In the event of inclement weather, the festival will be rescheduled for April 18. Updates will be posted on Instagram at @OcalaCulturalArts.

For more information, visit ocalafl.gov/poetryfest or contact the City of Ocala Cultural Arts Division at [email protected] or (352) 629-8447.