Performances for the People to Lighten the City Hall Mood with Music and Poetry

This Saturday afternoon, the Port Townsend City Council Chambers will turn into a performing-arts space, with free music and poetry for the public. 

“Performances for the People,” aka P4P, is a new series under the Port Townsend Creative District umbrella. Inside City Hall at 540 Madison St., the event promises three sets: 

• Jill and Kevin with the Other Guys will start things off with Western swing and country music starting at 4 p.m.;
• Next up are Ben Wilson and Kevyn Rubio of the folk-rock band Wilderson at 4:45 p.m.;
• The finale brings Port Townsend city Poet Laureate Rufina C. Garay and friends from 5:25 p.m. 

Despite the name of this event, that final set isn’t purely a performance, Garay said in an interview. 

“What I’m trying to do is experimental. I’ve gotten more experimental as poet laureate,” she said. Garay’s desire is to help people connect through poetry; to that end, she will invite people—the “poet-hearted” as she calls them—into a kind of conversation about poetry and love. Garay hopes for a collective sharing of brief writings, pieces that are like movements in a classical symphony. 

Garay also envisions a collective poem coming out of the P4P gathering—a composition she wants to include in the chapbook she’s creating as a gift to Port Townsend. 

Following the poetry and music of P4P comes the city’s monthly Art Walk. Held every first Saturday at 5 p.m., this is a free, self-guided circuit open to the public; art galleries and art-friendly venues around Port Townsend stay open till 8 p.m. 

Now and through the coming months, P4P’s organizers are looking to fill out future sets at City Hall. Musicians, theater artists, writers, actors, dancers, comedians, singers and other performing artists are encouraged to apply via https://ptcreativedistrict.org/p4p/. 

The next P4P is slated for March 6 during the 2027 Soundcheck festival. Then come performances on May 1 and October 2 of next year. 

In their applications, performers should plan on a 35-minute time slot and present a family-friendly set suitable for all ages. A basic sound system is provided, but performing artists should bring their own materials and equipment. Performing acts, whether they’re one person or a group of people, receive a $200 stipend. 

Young artists are encouraged to apply and will be given special priority. All applicants will be asked to provide two to four work samples and two references who can speak about their work. 

The city will accept applications on a rolling basis, with the deadline to apply coming six weeks before each P4P date. Performers will be notified of their selection at least a month before the event unless they specify that they need to know earlier. This puts the deadline to apply for the March 6 P4P in early to mid-January.

More about the Port Townsend Creative District and its activities is found at https://ptcreativedistrict.org/. Other events coming up include the Nexus gathering for artists of all kinds on October 28 at the Port Townsend Public Library, 1220 Lawrence St. Nexus, a free meetup, will feature refreshments and a chance to connect with local creative people from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The October event, the last Nexus of 2026, is also an opportunity to share artistic projects and “dream a collective future for the arts,” according to the Creative District’s invitation.