Poetry will take center stage across Hot Springs from November 1 through November 8, with a festival built around performances, learning and local literary culture.

The Hot Springs Poetry Festival is presenting free programming at multiple locations, giving newcomers as well as experienced writers ways to take part.

Scheduled offerings include readings, workshops, a poetry slam and a documentary screening.

For writers hoping to develop their own work, online sessions include a childhood-poetry workshop on November 2 and a personal-archive poetry workshop on November 3.

Readers Ellie Black and James McWilliams are among those featured in the November 7 program.

A Spa City Poetry Slam is also scheduled for November 7, opening a different kind of door into the art form.

The festival's closing day, November 8, includes the inaugural Spa City Book Fair, scheduled from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The Club House Hot Springs.

That mix of formal readings and more approachable community events is an invitation to experience poetry without needing to be an expert.

Anyone planning a visit should check the individual venue and event schedules, since programming is spread across the week.

Travelers from Little Rock and nearby communities may find the festival an appealing reason for an autumn trip to the Spa City.