The Yakima Coffeehouse Poets presents Open Mic Night on the second Wednesday of each month, September through May, usually held at the Larson Gallery, YVC Campus, 1606 W. Nob Hill Blvd (across the street from the old Larson Gallery).
Our Open Mic meetings begin at 7:00pm (unless otherwise noted) with doors open at 6:30pm.
Next Open Mic:
Wednesday, October 8, 2025,
7:00pm
at the Larson Gallery
(Doors open at 6:30pm for a Reception prior to the Reading.)
Featured Poet: Mary Crane
Mary Eliza Crane lives in the Cascade foothills in western Washington. A regular feature at Puget Sound readings, she has read poetry from Woodstock to L.A, and internationally with Siberian poets in Russia. Mary’s new collection of poetry, Last Call of the Dark, was published by Cirque Press in 2024. She has has two previous volumes of poetry published by Gazoobi Tales, and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Her work has appeared in many journals and northwest anthologies, including Raven Chronicles, WA 129 Poets of Washington (2017), Bridge Above the Falls (2019) and Examined Life (2024), and has been translated into Russian. Mary is a co- founder of Western Washington Poet’s Network, and co-curates and co-hosts the monthly Duvall Poetry reading series in her home community.
If you wish to read, please sign up via email:
Like the Poetry contest, Open Mic Night got its start at Allied Arts. The event was initiated in 2005 by local poet Elaine Smith. Then encouraged by the former Allied Arts director Elizabeth Herres Miller and her successor Jessica Moskwa. They felt a monthly forum where local poets could read original work would complement the annual contest. They were right.
Poets Claire Carpenter, Dotty Armstrong, Chuck Forster, Rod Nelson, Linda Brown, Ed Stover, Elaine Smith, and Mark Fuzie have kept Open Mic alive.
Open Mic Night was popular at the outset and remains so as a program now run by the Yakima Coffeehouse Poets. Come read a poem and meet your fellow Yakima poets.