Voices In Power: A Poetry Open Mic Experience — All-Raffle Edition

Voices In Power returns to The Loft at City Winery on Monday, October 26, with an open mic night that works a bit differently than the ones you're used to. This is the All-Raffle Edition, and the raffle is the whole point: poets sign up at the door and are drawn at random throughout the evening to share their work. Signing up doesn't guarantee you a spot on stage, so you might end up performing, or you might spend the night listening. The evening is held together by a host and a live DJ, and food and drinks are available throughout.

Voices In Power was founded by Luis Marrero, and the series is built around bringing poets, creatives, and audiences together for a night centered on storytelling, connection, and self-expression. The raffle format keeps the lineup unpredictable, and there's one more drawing at the end of the night: one interested poet in attendance is chosen to return as the featured poet for the December 27 show. If you're coming with something ready to read, you're in the running for both.

The venue is The Loft at City Winery, an intimate room in the Fashion District that pairs a seated show with table service and award-winning wines. It's hosted names like Wayne Newton, Musiq Soulchild, Lyle Lovett, Patton Oswalt, Lalah Hathaway, George Lopez, and Robert Glasper. The show starts at 7 PM, and doors open at 6 PM, so you've got an hour to get in and get your name on the sign-up sheet before the raffle begins.