Announcing 2014 @PWPicnic Reunion at #Mountainair #SunflowerFestival

Dale and workshop group reading '09

…prefaced by a nostalgia trip, reblogging a 2010 post announcing what turned out to be the last picnic until this year: picnickery among sunflowers. Expect more. Besides those who remember the Picnic, there's a new crew to initiate and educate. The short version: a day of poetry and music in the Shaffer Hotel Garden: go through the gate and meet us at the Gazebo 

After comings and goings, the Picnic list is set, if not totally proof against the vagaries of fate. What is? Close enough to call for now. This 13th annual Picnic, emceed by Kenneth Gurney and Dale Harris (who also perform), features poetry and prose readings, live music and a group slam performance.

New Mexico poets reading are Tani Arness (Albuquerque), Gary Brower (Placitas), Greg Candela (Albuquerque), Wayne Crawford (Las Cruces), Donald Levering (Santa Fe), Miriam Sagan (Santa Fe), Mitch Rayes and Sirena Rayes (both Albuquerque), a world class slam performance by ABQ UNIDOS, Youth Poetry Slam Team members Reed Adair, Eva Crespin, Khalid Binsunni, Miguel Figueroa and Olivia Gatwood.  Charles Usmar, reading from his upcoming book on the Lincoln County Wars, is this year's lone prose reader.  As Molière reminds us, it's what we all speak.

Bud and Jessica

For music, Bud and Jessica, The Blue Rose Ramblers, who performed at the 2008 picnic are back. Rounding out the music bill are Greg Candela (also a featured reader) and The New Mexico Celtic Singers (Jenn Brooks, Michele Buchanan, Carol Conoboy, Nancy Costea, Dale Harris, Erika Kretzmann, Mary & Dusty McDaniel, Gwen Montgomery, Scott Sharot and Kathy Wimmer)

Both the Picnic IRL and the writing workshop have their very own separate pages, but to build in redundancy (a good thing and a computing virtue ~ until a gazillion duplicates of the same notice hit your mailbox on the same day): here are links to the Picnic Flyer and Workshop brochure

And there's more going on about town...

Sunflower Festival logo

• Sunflower Festival ~ juried arts and crafts, vendors, food, live music. 
  
  Indoors at the Dr Saul Community, outside in the town-square-for-a-day 
  (roped off block between Broadway and Beal) and elsewhere about town.  Don't miss the Children's Sunflower Art Project displayed in storefront windows around town.

• Van of Enchantment at the Salinas Pueblo Visitors Center (NPS) ~ a twofer

• Hats On (not off), sunflower hats that is for the Sunflower Hat Parade and 
  Competition, 2 pm at the steps of the Dr Saul Community Center

• Annual Library Book Sale, outdoors in front of the library, 
  
  across from the Dr Saul Center: bags 'o books $2/ea; tables of 
  fiction/non-fiction, hardbacks, paperpacks and childrens books.