Salina will host a nationwide artistic event later this week.

The Heart of the Heartland Small Press Poetry Fest, a three-day poetry festival featuring poets representing independent publishing houses from around the Midwest and from across the country will be this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at the SPARK Artist Resource Exchange, 146 S. Santa Fe. The fest features scheduled readings, a panel discussion on small press publishing, open mic opportunities and books for sale by the authors.

According to SPARK,  Kansas poets laureate and many award-winning writers will participate in readings that begin Friday and Saturday at 6 pm. Lightning round open mic readings open to any writer begin at 9 pm with sign-up beginning each night at 6 pm. A panel discussion featuring representatives from several presses will be Saturday at 2 pm. All events are free and open to the public. Donations welcome.

Presses in attendance will be Spartan Press (Kansas City, MO), Stubborn Mule Press (Devil’s Elbow, MO), Chiron Review (St. John, KS), Woodley Press (Topeka, KS), Coal City Review (Lawrence, KS),  NeuroNautic Press (New York, NY), Cringe-Worthy Poetry Collective (Buffalo, NY), Casa de Cinco Hermanas (Pueblo, CO), Kung Fu Treachery Press (Rancho Cucamonga, CA), Luchador Press (Big Tuna, TX), and Nostravia Press (Hayward, CA).\

Poets who will be featured are Brandon Whitehead, Huascar Medina (just named the new Kansas poet laureate), Shanley Wells Rau, Kevin Rabas (former Kansas poet laureate), Gary Lechliter, Adam Jameson, HC Palmer, Jeanette Powers, Nathanael Stolte, Jason Baldinger, Kyle Laws, Michael Hathaway, Al Ortolani, Matthew Hupert, Brian Daldorph, Macey Webb, Steph Castor, Robert L. Dean, Linzi Garcia, Steven Sassmann, John Dorsey, Victor Adam Clevenger, Jeremiah Walton, Shawn Pavey, Patricia Traxler and Harley Elliott.

The fest is supported by Salina Arts & Humanities, Spartan Press, and SPARK.