Fruity Poetry Night Costume Party

Fruity Poetry Night is back at Afternoons Studio on Wednesday, October 28, from 7 PM to 10 PM, and this time it's a Halloween Costume Party. If you've been around the Phoenix queer arts scene for a while, you probably know the night: it's a monthly open mic for queer poets, writers, and storytellers, run by them.s. The format is straightforward—people sign up to read their work out loud, and the room listens. The costume part is just the theme for this particular edition, so you can show up in full Halloween gear if you're feeling it.

Fruity Poetry Night isn't always a standard open mic, though. The series has moved beyond the regular reading format a few times, including a Pride Month Pool Party fundraiser at Ibiza Pool (the Pemberton), and this costume night is one of those departures. The organizers promote Afternoons Studio as a safe space for queer creators in the city, which is a good way to frame what the night is about: a place to share new work or old favorites with people who get it.

If you're a writer or a poet, the open mic is the main draw—you bring your pages and take the mic. If you're just there to listen, you'll hear a mix of voices from across the city's queer community. It's a monthly thing, so if you've missed previous ones, this is a chance to catch it. The Halloween theme adds a costume element to the mix, but the core is still the poetry and the storytelling.

It all happens at Afternoons Studio, 2811 N 7th Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85007, on Wednesday, October 28, from 7 PM to 10 PM.