If you have a poem in a desk drawer, Friday night is a good time to read it out loud. The Old Town Hall Poetry Group is hosting an open mic reading at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, at the Bloomington Historical Society's Old Town Hall Museum, 10200 Penn Ave.
The format is simple. Organizers said poets of all ages can share 1 or 2 of their own poems or read a favorite poem by someone else. You don't have to read at all: people who just want to listen and support local writers are welcome. The historical society lists the evening as a free community event. For questions, the society's phone number is 952-881-4114.
The building has seen plenty of speeches already. Old Town Hall dates to 1892 and has been renovated twice. It was the headquarters of the Town Board until 1964, when the historical society opened a museum there. Regular museum hours are 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and on Saturday, so Friday's reading is a rare evening chance to be inside.
If Friday doesn't work, the society has more events coming. Author A. L. Padden will talk about the Edmund Fitzgerald shipwreck at 7 p.m. Nov. 10, and Dr. Bruce Forbes will present "How Christmas Got to Be This Way" at 2 p.m. Dec. 13. Both are listed on the society's museum page.
