New interpretative signs are headed to Riverbend Park in Great Falls and Ellanor C. Lawrence Park in Chantilly next month as part of an initiative to promote poetry in Fairfax County’s park system.
Set to be unveiled next Friday, Nov. 1, the signs will showcase poems selected by outgoing Fairfax County Poet Laureate Danielle Badra for both of the locations.
The placards will contain writing prompts and a call for visitors to submit creative writing, poetry and illustrations. The submitted works would become part of a digital collection that ArtsFairfax has been maintaining for the “Poetry in the Parks” program started by Badra, who was appointed as the county’s second-ever poet laureate in 2022.
A collaboration between ArtsFairfax and the Fairfax County Park Authority, the initiative is intended to highlight local parks as a “vital sanctuary” in a world that’s dominated by technology and urban landscapes, according to a press release.
In addition to the forthcoming interpretive signage, “Poetry in the Parks” has brought a variety of poetry reading and writing events to the county’s parks over the past two years, including the popular “Poetry Beneath the Stars” workshop at Turner Farm Park in Great Falls.
“The partnership aims to showcase the unique ways in which parks can serve as a canvas for creativity, culminating in a collection of works inspired by these green spaces,” the FCPA said in the press release.
The sign unveiling ceremony will be held at 4:30 p.m. at the Woodlands Stewardship Education Center (5301 Walney Road) in Chantilly. Representatives of the Fairfax County Park Authority and ArtsFairfax are expected to attend, along with Dranesville District Supervisor Jimmy Bierman and Sully District Supervisor Kathy Smith.
ArtsFairfax created a poet laureate designation for the county in 2020 as a way to bring poetry to new audiences through community initiatives and events. Each laureate is appointed for a three-year term, with Badra’s successor expected to be announced this October.
