April is National Poetry Month and this year marks its 20th anniversary. In honor of this anniversary, Newtown Cultural Arts Commission (NCAC) is hosting a special poetry event on Sunday, April 3, at Newtown Meeting House. "Risk A Verse" will begin at 2 pm.

National Poetry Month is the largest literary celebration in the world. Tens of millions of readers, students, K-12 teachers, librarians, booksellers, literary events, curators, publishers, bloggers, and, of course, poets marking poetry's important place in our culture and our lives every April. One of the annual observation's goals is to encourage the reading of poems, and NCAC has embraced that by inviting a group of Newtown residents to read their favorite poem out loud to the community.

Following a line in the Sesame Street song "People in Your Neighborhood" ("These are the people in your neighborhood, the people that you meet each day"), NCAC sought some of the neighbors who help define Newtown for the April event.

The commission has assembled a fun group that includes First Selectman Pat Llodra, Police Chief James Viadero, Animal Control Officer Carolee Mason; Parks & Recreation Director Amy Mangold; Angelo Marini, owner of Sal e Pepe; Sydney Eddison, master gardener and author; and Doug Russell, high school coach and teacher.

Also planning to participate are Miles Aldrich, Walgreens cashier and greeter; Pat Barkman, artist and naturalist; Curtiss Clark, Editor of The Newtown Bee; Ann Cote, of Newtown Color Center; Kathy Ballwig Hollick, traffic control officer; Kevin Hoyt, athlete; Mel Kawakami, senior pastor, Newtown United Methodist Church; Brenda McKinley, director, C.H. Booth Library; Marsha Moskowitz, Sandy Hook resident and former school bus driver; Joe Proc, musician and wildlife rehabilitator; Dr Z. Michael Tahweh, founder and director, Kevin's Community Center; first grade student Henri Quirk; and Laurie Veillette, a member of Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps.

The hosts of the event are Newtown Poet Laureate Lisa Schwartz and NCAC members Tracy Van Buskirk.

The event's name, according to Ms Van Buskirk, is a pun that reflects the willingness of these neighbors to step outside their comfort zone and share some of their feelings through poetry.

"Risk A Verse" will be held at Newtown Meeting House, 31 Main St in Newtown (at the flagpole).

Admission is free, but donations are welcome and will be used toward the 2016 Newtown Art Festival and also to help fund the NCAC's scholarship program. With a donation of $5 or more, attendees will receive a booklet of all the poems presented at the event.

A reception will follows the readings.

Reservations are not being taken, but additional information is available by calling 203-731-1809 or 203-733-4190.

This post has been edited to include the start time of the event.