Fairfax County Poet Laureate Angelique Palmer Introduces “Poetry &” for National Poetry Month

Fairfax, VA (March 25, 2026) — As the poetry and literary arts ambassador for Fairfax County, Fairfax County Poet Laureate Angelique Palmer, in partnership with ArtsFairfax, will launch Poetry &, a series of interactive public programs designed to fuse the art of poetry with other art forms. Poetry & events will be hosted by Fava Pot in Tysons, VA, Neutral Ground Bar + Kitchen in McLean, VA, and Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, VA, throughout April for National Poetry Month.

“My vision for ‘Poetry &’ is to demonstrate how poetry can augment other art forms, including visual art and the culinary arts. Based on what we see, taste, and hear, how do we find the words that complement and enrich an artistic experience?” says Palmer, who will serve as Fairfax County Poet Laureate through September 2027.

“ArtsFairfax is very intentional about supporting community projects that engage the public through poetry, and Ms. Palmer’s project invites us to be fully present and engaged in an art experience.  Through these workshops and events, ‘Poetry &’ asks participants to explore what they notice about themselves and their surroundings,” says Stuart Holt, ArtsFairfax President & CEO.

Upcoming Poetry & Events:

Poetry & Neutral Ground Bar + Kitchen
April 14 from 5:00pm-6:30pm
Neutral Ground Bar + Kitchen
6641 Old Dominion Drive, McLean, VA

This April, two New Orleans natives bring the bayou to Northern Virginia—one through verse, one through flavor. ArtsFairfax will partner with Neutral Ground Bar + Kitchen to create a $40 three-course, prix-fixe menu inspired by Fairfax County Poet Laureate Angelique Palmer, available from April 7-14.

On Tuesday, April 14, hear from cookbook author and TV personality Chef David Guas and Fairfax County Poet Laureate Angelique Palmer to learn more about the partnership, enjoy remarks on the menu and a live poetry reading.

Chef David Guas, born and raised in New Orleans, has called Northern Virginia home for over 20 years. Guas, who also owns Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar & Eatery in Arlington, VA, is deeply involved in the community through his advocacy work, sharing his culinary skills and commitment to sustainable sourcing with long-term, neighboring producers and farmers. The desire to fill a dining void in downtown McLean inspired Guas to open Neutral Ground Bar + Kitchen in 2024. Neutral Ground’s mission is to preserve the foodways that define our diverse culture— showcasing Chef Guas’s innovative, soulful interpretations of cuisine rooted in the rich traditions of American cooking.

Poetry & Workhouse Arts Center
April 16 from 6:30-8:00pm
McGuire Woods Gallery
9518 Workhouse Way, Lorton, VA

ArtsFairfax partners with the Workhouse Arts Center for this Poetry & Visual Art workshop. Participants will explore and create ekphrastic poetry—a poem that describes or responds to visual art. Attendees will take inspiration from the Flourish exhibition, on view at the Workhouse Arts Center through May 16, 2026. Both novice and experienced poets are welcome and will have the opportunity to share their written creations.

Located in the McGuire Woods Gallery, Flourish celebrates the bold artistic expression and dynamic energy of the studio and low-residency artists of Workhouse Arts Center. The exhibition’s name is rooted in both its meanings; as a noun, it signifies the creative gestures of the processes happening in Workhouse studios every day, and as a verb represents the vibrancy and growth of the Workhouse community.

Poetry & Fava Pot
April 28 at 6:00pm
Fava Pot at The Boro
1624 Boro Place, McLean, VA 22102

ArtsFairfax partners with Fava Pot for a fusion of Poetry & food. For this one-night-only ticketed event, gather together with Fava Pot Chef Dina Daniel and Fairfax County Poet Laureate Angelique Palmer to explore how the foods we eat and the words we share create experiences that forge a culture, form an identity, and enrich one’s heritage.

Founded by Chef Daniel to bring an authentic Egyptian experience to the DC area, Fava Pot began as a food truck in 2013, quickly earning the title as one of “America’s 26 Best Food Trucks” by the Food Network. Fava Pot’s following has earned the business permanent locations in Falls Church, Dupont Circle, and most recently, at The Boro. Fava Pot is regularly featured in Northern Virginia Magazine, named one of the 100 Very Best Restaurants by Washingtonian, and received a 2024 RAMMY Award for Best Fast Bite of the Year.

Fairfax County Poet Laureate Angelique Palmer will also perform a reading at the closing ceremony for the eARTh Day Festival in Reston, VA, on April 25 at Reston Town Square Park.

For additional details and upcoming events, visit ArtsFairfax.org/Poetry-and

About the Fairfax County Poet Laureate
The Fairfax County Poet Laureate is a distinguished appointment that highlights the importance of poetry and literary arts in Fairfax County. Through the designation of a Fairfax County Poet Laureate, ArtsFairfax celebrates and supports a professional poet’s continued pursuit of creative work and creates new opportunities for the Poet Laureate to connect with Fairfax County communities through the sharing of poetry.

Fairfax County Poet Laureates serve in three-year terms and must create and implement a community service project designed for County residents. Past Poet Laureate community service projects include Danielle Badra’s “Poetry in the Parks” in collaboration with Fairfax County Park Authority to offer free readings and workshops in County parks, and Nicole Tong’s “Poetry Lives Here” in partnership with George Mason University to provide a poetry residency at the Fairfax County Juvenile Detention Center.

About Angelique Palmer
Angelique Palmer is a performance poet and kindergarten teacher, and a Spoken Word instructor at Wilkes University Maslow Family Creative Writing Graduate Program. A competitor with the Womxn of the World Poetry Slam, Ms. Palmer was the 5th-ranked woman poet in the world in 2015 and is currently ranked 19th among the top 96 poets in the world.

After 10 self-published chapbooks, Ms. Palmer’s first full-length book, The Chambermaid’s Style Guide, debuted on Sargent Press in 2016. Her second book is the 2021 follow-up Also Dark on Etruscan Press. Honored to be a part of such anthologies as The Queer Cookies Poetry Cookbook, and Sign & Breath: Voice and the Literary Tradition, she has also published online in Drunk in A Midnight Choir; Wus Good?: A POC Magazine; Borderline; and The Mud Review.

The New Orleans native and Florida State University Creative Writing graduate has called Virginia home since 2010 and Fairfax County home since 2017. She makes her own ice cream, shares kindness freely, and never hesitates to bond with anyone over “The Golden Girls.”

About ArtsFairfax
ArtsFairfax is designated as Fairfax County’s local arts agency with the mission to invest in and amplify the arts for the 1.2 million residents across Fairfax County, the City of Fairfax, and the City of Falls Church. By offering vital funding, advocacy, and professional opportunities to the local arts sector, ArtsFairfax promotes the arts’ capacity to cultivate community and fuel social and economic growth. ArtsFairfax is driven by the belief that the arts are essential to our lives and strengthened by a diversity of perspectives, experiences, and audiences. Incorporated as a 501(c)(3) in 1964, ArtsFairfax is funded in part by the County, Virginia Commission for the Arts, and National Endowment for the Arts, as well as corporations, foundations, and individuals.