RALEIGH, N.C. — Lake Norman and Eno River state parks will host inaugural "Poetry in the Park" events on April 20 and April 27, respectively, the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation announced. The events are planned as part of the division's Arts in the Parks initiative and are being held in commemoration of National Poetry Month in April.
Josephus Thompson III, also known as "Josephus III" and host of "The Poetry Café," distributed nationally by American Public Radio, will be the featured guest and host at both events. The programs are scheduled from 2-4 p.m., and will include live music, booths from arts and parks organizations, poetry readings, and activities aimed to inspire written art from nature. There will also be a StoryWalk® at each event, where pages of a book will be set up along the trail, and visitors can read as they hike. The featured book will be Thompson's children's book, "Poetry is Life."
"There is so much beauty at our state parks, and the intent of the Arts in the Parks initiative is to foster that synergy between the outdoors and creative arts," said Kathy Capps, deputy director of operations for State Parks. "The greatest poets in history from Emily Dickinson to Robert Frost to Maya Angelou have all been inspired by nature, and we hope to instill that sense of creativity among our visitors."
The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson and is a registered service mark owned by the Kellogg-Hubbard Library in Montpelier, Vermont. For more information on the Poetry in the Park events, visit ncparks.gov/events.
About North Carolina State Parks
North Carolina State Parks manages more than 262,000 acres of iconic landscape within North Carolina's state parks, state recreation areas and state natural areas. It administers the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, including its local grants program, as well as a state trails program, North Carolina Natural and Scenic Rivers and more, all with a mission dedicated to conservation, recreation and education. The state parks system welcomes more than 20 million visitors annually.
About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina — its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency.
The department manages over 100 locations across the state, including 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, five science museums, four aquariums, 35 state parks, four recreation areas, dozens of state trails and natural areas, the North Carolina Zoo, the North Carolina Symphony, the State Library, the State Archives, the North Carolina Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the American Indian Heritage Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of State Archaeology, the Highway Historical Markers program, the North Carolina Land and Water Fund, and the Natural Heritage Program. For more information, visit ncdcr.gov.