History in Bloom Poetry Contest

Lilacs
Photo by Valeria Bold on Unsplash

Calling All Lorain County Poets!

Since the first Lilac Festival in Lorain in 1931, lilacs have symbolized perseverance for the city. Residents in the early 1930s wrote songs about these intoxicating plants for a contest hosted by the annual festival. In similar fashion, for this year’s 91st anniversary of lilacs in Lorain, we are encouraging residents of Lorain County to write and submit their own poem about “Lilacs and Lorain.” Submissions will be accepted Fri., March 18th through Fri., April 15th. Winners will be notified by e-mail no later than May 20th and will be announced to the public on May 21st, our official Lilac Day.

How to enter the History in Bloom Poetry Contest

  • Theme: Lilacs and Lorain
  • Who: Open to all residents of Lorain County
  • What: Submit one poem (free or formal verse) on the theme; 50 lines, maximum
  • When: Contest open from Friday, March 18th, until midnight on Friday, April 15th
  • Where: Submit to info@lorainhistory.org
  • How: Poems can be submitted in the body of the email or in an attached Word document.
  • List your legal name and, if applicable, your pen name
  • Provide your phone number and city/town

PRIZES: (sponsored by Kelly Boyer Sagert):

  1. First Place: Lilac-themed sugar cookies by Debralicious + 1 “The Lilac City” garden flag + a copy of Hidden History of Lorain County by Kelly Boyer Sagert + 2 poetry books
  2. Second Place: 1 “The Lilac City” garden flag + a copy of Hidden History of Lorain County by Kelly Boyer Sagert + 2 poetry books
  3. Third Place: a copy of Hidden History of Lorain County by Kelly Boyer Sagert + 2 poetry books

IMPORTANT NOTES

• Submissions will be assigned a number; judges will not know your name
• Poems cannot contain hate speech or sexually explicit language/themes
• Only poems that follow the rules will be considered for prizes.
• No poems will be accepted after midnight on April 15th; to be fair to other entrants, there can be no exceptions

Winners will be contacted the week of May 20th and will be announced to the public on May 21st, LILAC DAY, on all Lorain Historical Society social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and through our e-news).

Any questions, please email info@lorainhistory.org

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