Jersey City Poetry Festival VIP Networking Kick-Off Celebration

Melida Rodas

JCPOFEST Founder & Creative Director,

Poet Laureate of Jersey City 2025 – 2026

PRESENTS: VIP FESTIVE NETWORKING EXPERIENCE at The Stork Club

• *with a COSPLAY ELEMENT

   

• Date: 9/19

• Time: 7pm – 11pm

• An exclusive gathering for select voices in poetry, publishing, and the arts.

• Venue: The Stork Club  

   
   

  This unique evening brings together creatives, visionaries, and art-lovers in an immersive celebration of poetic legacy and lyrical brilliance. As part of the evening’s theme, we invite you to attend dressed as a renowned poet or lyricist who has inspired you—be it Emily Dickinson, Tupac Shakur, Bob Dylan, Maya Angelou, or any artist whose words have left a mark on history. We also encourage each guest to bring a short piece—a poem, verse, or lyric—to read aloud, authored by the artist you embody. This shared experience will celebrate the timeless power of words and the diverse voices that continue to shape our cultural narrative.

   

• DRESSCODE:

  Creative attire and literary figure costumes are not mandatory but they are joyfully encouraged.- Let’s have some fun!  

   

  Line up:

• Projecto – VT Cuba Band: Le Fiddler

• Gissel Bellas

• Rashad Wright

• Sofia Carrasco

• Victor Sotomayor

• Lisa Marie Basile

• Jasmine de Leon – Afro Peruvian Jazz Percussionist

• Meyling Wong – Classical Cellist – Indie Rock Bass Player

• Marc Del Giudice 

• The Jersey City Cabaret

   

  A keepsake. A spell …

   

• Qwert Poetry aka  Pierce Logan – custom type written poems – Whisper a word, a memory, a mood. A poet listens —the keys begin to sing.

  In moments, a custom poem appears, inked on paper, born form a type writer just for you.

   
   

  and more surprises !

   

Your VIP access includes:

• An exclusive networking lounge

• Passed Hors d’oeuvres

• Cash Bar – Signature Cocktails

• Participation in the Live Reading Circle (Limited to Those With Full Costume Who Arrive Early to Sign up)

• Prize for Best Costume & Poetry Performance

• An electric atmosphere enriched by poetry & art 

• Creative ambiance

• The exchange of ideas 

• Camaraderie

• Connections holding the potential for collaboration

• Celebration of creativity and community

ABOUT STORK CLUB:

A Modern Reinvention of a Historic Club

Since its founding in 1929 by Sherman Billingsley, the Stork Club has been synonymous with glamour, exclusivity, and cultural significance. From hosting New York’s high society to setting the tone for nightlife across the globe, it was more than a club—it was a cultural beacon, a “place to see and be seen.”