For the Reporter

Shaaron Droke captured first place in the Open Mic Poetry Contest at the Auburn Avenue Theater last Saturday. The contest was part of the Literary Adventures program at the Auburn Days Festival.

James Rogers finished second, and Polly Buckingham was third. Each winner received a basket full of poetic wonders.

Droke, one of the winners of the Poetry on Busses Contest, will have her poem displayed on King County Metro buses in September.

Honorable-mention awards went to pre-teen Summer Barnett, Pamela Denchfield and Ann MacKenzie. Each received a tote bag of poetry-related items and an Auburn Days T-shirt.

The Literary Adventures contest, which was open to poets of all ages, featured poetry readings by artists throughout the Puget Sound region. The event included a book and small press fair with authors signing their works.

Bellingham’s Matthew Brouwer facilitated a workshop, Organizing Your Manuscript From Start To Finish.

Auburn Days, the City of Auburn, the Auburn Arts Commission, 4 Culture, Striped Water Poets, and Adventure Books presented the program.