In honor of National Poetry Month, Wissahickon Valley Public Library Ambler Branch is hosting a celebration to honor the winners and participants of the 2025 Wissahickon Area Poetry Contest. 

The event, titled “Where We Belong: Celebrating the Poetry of Home,” will take place at the Ambler branch library on Saturday, April 26 at 1:00pm.

This event marks the culmination of a six-month community-wide poetry contest led by Lisa DeVuono, the current Montgomery County Poet Laureate, and the Wissahickon Valley Public Library.  

DeVuono has partnered with the library to bring poetry workshops, readings, and school presentations to the community, fostering creativity and connection through the written word.

The poetry contest, which welcomed submissions in three categories—children, teens, and adults—received more than 70 poems from local residents. Contestants were asked to explore the theme of “Home,” drawing inspiration from their personal experiences of belonging, community, and identity.

The poetry contest winners are:

Children’s category: Winner Michael Rivera for “Roots of Home”, Finalist Charlotte Choe for “Look Around”

Teen category: Winner Kyara Nguyen for “Roads to the Endless Heart”, Finalist Zoe Brownstein for “Connecting Paths”

Adult category: Winner Caitlin Mattera for “Keep the Home Fires Burning”, Finalist Patricia Niemann for “Home to the Branches”

The celebration will feature readings from guest poets Michelle Reale, Bill Van Buskirk, and Lisa DeVuono, along with readings from the contest winners. Winners in each category will be awarded prizes at the celebration.

An Open Mic poetry reading will also be held. Poets wishing to participate in the open mic session are invited to sign up on the day of the event.

As a part of the celebration, selected contest poems will be showcased on posters displayed at the Ambler Bank and local Ambler storefronts throughout April. 

The public is invited to attend this free event.