Mesa Arts & Culture Week
Poetry. Pastries. A touch of dramatic flourish.
From March 4–14, Elysian Fields happily joins Visit Mesa and fellow local artisans in celebrating Mesa Arts & Culture Week with poetry, pastries, and properly indulgent confections the sort of which that leaves one blissfully speechless… or at least politely dramatic.
Across the event, we will be hosting poet spotlight features inspired by beloved voices, each paired with thoughtfully indulgent confections and fresh poetry prompts. It’s culture you can taste, creativity you can nibble, and an open invitation to play with words and pen adventures.
There will be prizes, there will be glory, and there will be pastries. In that order, mostly.
Putting Pen to Paper
Throughout the event, we will feature five poets, each spotlighted over a two‑day window. Every poetly appearance includes:
A featured poet with a themed pairing of flavors and mood
Two themed confections: one starring role, one charming supporting act
A fresh poetry contest prompt, unveiled with that poet’s feature
You may write one poem, several poems, or attempt all prompts like a daring literary adventurer or, we daresay, the dramatically eloquent bard you secretly are. Or choose the equally noble path of enjoying the ambiance, the confections, and the poetry of others. All levels of bravery (and restraint) are warmly applauded.
The Feature Calendar: Poets, Pastries, and Prompted Mischief
Our Arts & Culture Week unfolds in poetic chapters. Below, you will find each featured poet paired with themed confections and a prompt for those inclined to write, and plenty to enjoy if you’re not. Join us for one feature or wander through them all, whether you are here to write, to read, or simply to linger with a pastry and a good line or two. Participation is optional; curiosity is encouraged.
Edgar Allan Poe
Wednesday–Thursday | March 4–5
Begin the week with shadows, suspense, and indulgence. Dark, dramatic, and deliciously unsettling, our Edgar Allan Poe feature invites guests to linger in the shadows where beauty and unease quietly coexist.
Featured Confections: The Tell‑Tale Heart Chocolate Tortes and The Fall of the House of Ganache
Poetry Contest Prompt: Write 4-8 lines in which a beautiful object (a room, a song, a keepsake) becomes unsettling. Use one repeated phrase to mimic a heartbeat or echo.
Homer
Friday–Saturday | March 6–7
Epic journeys need not span seas to be worthy of song. Our Homer feature celebrates the poetry of adventures both bold and dainty. Those small triumphs and trials that feel heroic in the moment and are best rewarded with a sweet treat.
Featured Confections: Odyssey of the Fig and Odysseus’ Bow Crescents
Poetry Contest Prompt: Write 6–10 lines in an epic‑leaning voice about a small, everyday quest - finding a lost item, making it home, finishing a task, or bravely making the bed while dodging the cat. Use at least two vivid similes (“like…” or “as…”).
Maya Angelou
Sunday & Tuesday | March 8 & 10
A celebration of resilience, joy, and unapologetic radiance, and inspired by Maya Angelou’s luminous voice, these confections and words invite guests to reflect, rise, and savor sweetness in all its forms, both on the page and on the plate.
Featured Confections: Still I Rise Sunrise Honey Cakes and Phenomenal Woman Berry Tarts
Poetry Contest Prompt: Write 4-8 lines of resilience and radiance. Begin with a hardship, end with a declaration. Include at least one image of sunrise, sweetness, or song.
H.P. Lovecraft
Wednesday–Thursday | March 11–12
This feature lingers at the edge of the known world. Inspired by H. P. Lovecraft’s talent for suggestion and unease, these confections and words invite guests to consider what lies just beyond the light…familiar at first glance, and stranger the longer one looks.
Featured Confections: The Call of Cthulhu Black Magic and Shadow Over Innsmouth Berries
Poetry Contest Prompt: Write 6-10 lines that hints at something vast and unknowable just out of sight. Avoid naming the “thing” directly - let atmosphere, sensory detail, and implication do the work.
J.R.R. Tolkien
Friday–Saturday | March 13–14
We close the week with warmth, wonder, and the quiet joy of a journey well taken. Inspired by J. R. R. Tolkien’s love of roads, hearths, and simple pleasures, this feature invites guests to linger, imagine, and enjoy a well-earned treat at the end of the path.
Featured Confections: Lembas Bread Shortbread and Farmer Maggot’s Crops Carrot Cake
Poetry Contest Prompt: Write 6–10 lines that read like a travel‑song from an imagined journey. Include two place‑names you invent, one humble meal, and a moment of wonder.
"Books and doors are the same thing. You open them, and you go through into another world."
– Jeanette Winterson
Poetry Contest: The Gently Enchanted Details
A special and most splendid Poetry Contest will be featured continuously throughout Mesa Arts & Culture Week. Each featured poet arrives with a fresh prompt, unveiled alongside their themed confections, allowing the week to unfold in poetic chapters, one delicious page at a time.
You may write one poem, several poems, attempt all prompts like a daring literary adventurer. Or simply come enjoy the ambiance, the confections, and the poetry of others. We applaud all levels of bravery (including the bravery of ordering dessert and calling it a day).
How It Works
A new poetry prompt is introduced with each featured poet. Poems may be submitted at any point during the event window, from March 4 through March 14. Guests may respond to one prompt or as many as inspiration allows.
How to Participate
In the bakery, poems may be tucked into our dedicated submission box (no sealing wax required). Online submissions may be made through the embedded form below. We will also continue to accept submissions via comments on the event social post or by direct message.
A Few Friendly Notes
Your poem may be sincere, silly, spooky, radiant, dramatic, or quietly strange. If you’re unsure where to begin, borrow one image from the prompt and follow it like a lantern. First drafts are brave drafts. We adore bravery.
A small reassurance before you begin: Participation in the poetry contest is entirely optional. You are equally welcome to simply enjoy the themed confections, the ambiance, and the poetry of others.
Prizes, Honors & Well‑Earned Applause
Before you ask, why yes, there are prizes. Consider them our way of applauding brave lines, clever turns of phrase, and the occasional poem that makes us pause mid-frosting and whisper, “Well, that’s rather brilliant.” Whether you write one prompt or many, we’re delighted you’ve joined the revel.
Grand Poet of Distinguished Crumb
Grand Winner
One Grand Winner will be selected from all submissions. Their reward is a Poet’s Box of Treats - a thoughtfully curated collection of Elysian Fields confections - along with a Featured Winner Spotlight, shared both in the bakery and online for all to admire.
A Poem of Particular Delight
Prompt Winners
Each poetry prompt will also have its own winner. Every Prompt Winner receives a buy one get one offer, because poetry, like dessert, is best enjoyed when shared.
How Winners Are Chosen
We will be reading with care, curiosity, and more than a little delight. We are looking for poems with vivid imagery, a sense of voice, and that rare, sparkling quality best described as “oh, that’s rather good.” Experience matters far less than heart, imagination, and a well‑turned line.
Winners will be announced on this page after March 14 once we have read, swooned, discussed favorites, and recovered sufficiently to make sensible decisions.
An Invitation to Write
Whether you are a seasoned poet, an occasional scribbler, or someone who has not written a line since school but suddenly feels inspired near the pastry case, we are delighted to have you.
A small reassurance before you begin: Participation in the poetry contest is entirely optional. You are equally welcome to simply enjoy the themed confections, the ambiance, and the poetry of others.
To submit online, please use the submission form below.
Submit a Poem (If the Mood Should Strike You)
Manners Maketh the Poet
We believe poetry is best enjoyed with curiosity, kindness, and a pastry nearby. To keep the experience delightful for all, we offer the following gentle guidelines:
Be kind, to yourself and to others. Poetry may be playful, tender, dramatic, or strange, but unkindness is not invited to the table.
Original work only, please. Submit poems that are entirely your own, written by you, and not previously published elsewhere.
All voices are welcome. Whether you’re an experienced poet or writing your very first lines, you belong here.
Writing is optional. Reading, lingering, and enjoying the ambiance and confections are equally encouraged.
One poem per submission, please. Multiple entries are welcome! Simply submit them separately.
Respect privacy and credit. We will never share your poem publicly without your permission, and we will credit you exactly as requested.
Most importantly, have fun! Poetry should feel like an invitation, not an examination.
If you have questions, uncertainties, or a poem that does not quite fit the mold, you are always welcome to ask.