Jazz Poetry Cafe

Carisa Brown brings her successful Jazz Poetry Cafe to St. Augustine, on the fourth Friday of each month, March 28 through August 22, 2025, from 7:00 to 11:00 p.m. On each fourth Friday, the remodeled Willie Galimore Center will be turned into an upscale, discretely lit cafe, with a stage facing the audience.

The goal is twofold: to offer upscale elevated entertainment and to create a venue for emerging artists to share their music and poems. The evening begins with the opportunity to chat and mingle at 7:00 p.m., and the entertainment starts at 8:00 p.m. Each Jazz Poetry Cafe features four vocalists and four poets or spoken word artists, followed by an open mic session. The evening ends with a performance by one of Northeast Florida's outstanding jazz bands. Each artist will be carefully vetted before the event, with the open mic portion of the program serving as an audition for future evenings.

The audience may purchase food and drink from a local food truck, and the event includes a cash bar. The VIP section, closest to the stage has eight round tables that seat eight. The next rows have general admission table seating, each seating eight. A row or two of chairs in the back are general admission seating.

Jazz Poetry Cafe started in Jacksonville, and has spread to Brunswick, Georgia, and St. Augustine, Florida. Their mission is to create an exclusively upscale and diverse environment. Patrons are expected to dress with style for the evening, in chic attire a few steps above shorts and flip-flops.

Admission:  Tickets range from $22.00 to $38.00 per person. This is an adult event. Go here to purchase tickets.

When: On the fourth Friday of each month, March through August 2025, from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.

Where: Willie Galimore Community Center, 399 Riberia Street, St. Augustine 32084.