Join us this fall for an enriching cultural experience that explores the life and work of C. S. Lewis through collaborations by the arts, education, and faith communities. Festival events are held in Petoskey in beautiful Northern Michigan.
C.S. Lewis Festival Release Agreement & Liability Waiver
Youth, up to 18 years of age, are invited to submit a poem for the 2026 C.S. Lewis Festival’s Community Arts Night at Great Lakes Center for the Arts on Friday, October 2.
Poetry submissions must be about C.S. Lewis, his The Chronicles of Narnia, J.R.R. Tolkien, his The Lord of the Rings trilogy, or fairy tales, all to fit our 2026 theme: Remember Your Fairy Tales: Finding Hope in Lewis & Tolkien. Poems may not exceed one page of double-spaced 11-point font content.
The two top poems selected will be featured on the C.S. Lewis Festival’s social media accounts, announced in our monthly e-newsletter, and the winner will receive a curated book bag made possible through an educational grant awarded by the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation. The winning poets will also be invited to read their poems on stage during the Community Arts Night.
Poems must be submitted by Friday, July 31, 2026.
Please fill out the submission form by clicking on the button below!
Help us kick off the Festival weekend with a screening of Tolkien & Lewis: Myth, Imagination & The Quest for Meaning. Our weekend theme focuses on “Remember Your Fairy Tales: Finding Hope with Lewis & Tolkien,” and this documentary will set the tone! Plus, we’ll have opening remarks by documentary producer and Festival Co-founder David Crouse.
Join us for an evening celebrating youth art!
Student artwork will be on display, with student poetry readings and monologues presented on stage, followed by musical performances by The Wildflower Collective and others accompanied by a live on-stage painting by artist Megan Genevieve, inspired by C.S. Lewis. More details to come!
Plus, the first 100 students through the door receive a copy of The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis!
*Ticketing Note: Tickets for the Community Arts Night will be processed through Great Lakes Center for the Arts. Adult tickets (19+) are Pay-What-You-Can, with a $5 minimum. Student tickets (0–18) are free, but registration is required because seats are limited.
Megan Genevieve is a wildlife and landscape artist who is inspired by observation and motivated by emotion. Megan uses her skills as an artist to capture life with paint and brush. “Every day I see art” defines her positive attitude toward the world around her and allows her to embrace beauty in all moments. For more information about Megan and her work, visit www.megangart.com.
The painting Megan completes on stage during the Community Arts Night will be available through a silent auction, with bidding going through the Keynote Address on Saturday, October 3, at Great Lakes Center for the Arts. Bidders will be able to place bids in the lobby during the Friday and Saturday Festival events.
The Wildflower Collective is a Northern Michigan ensemble of three young musicians — Grace (15) on piano and vocals, Aurora (13) on violin, and Karlie (15) on guitar — two sisters and a cousin who have spent years studying their instruments and now love sharing their music together. Their repertoire weaves through classical pieces, beloved folk tunes, worship favorites, and familiar popular songs, with something to delight every listener. With the polish of dedicated practice and the warmth and joy that only young performers can bring, an evening with The Wildflower Collective is sure to leave you smiling.
10:00AM – 3:30PM: The seminar’s three sessions include talks with Griffin Gooch and A.S. “Pete” Peterson, a short film screening, and a table reading involving attendees, Pete, and Keynote Speaker Malcolm Guite. Lunch, catered by Julienne Tomatoes, will be served during the Saturday Seminar.
6:00PM: Our Keynote Address, presented by The Manthei Speaker Series, features Dr. Malcolm Guite, a poet and priest, and the author of an ambitious four-volume epic reimagining the Arthurian legends, beginning with Merlin’s Isle: Galahad & the Grail. More details to come soon on Malcolm’s keynote lecture.