Viva Poesía: "La Battle Royale"

Organized by the San Antonio World Heritage Office in celebration of National Poetry Month, the latest incarnation of Viva Poesía encourages attendees to don lucha libre masks for “an exciting fusion of two beloved cultural traditions — the literary art of spoken-word and the colorful, well-known styling of the popular Mexican variety of wrestling.” Emceed by local poetry slam fixture Anthony “The Poet” Flores, the fourth annual event invites spoken-word artists of all ages and skill levels into an regulation-sized wrestling ring for head-to-head battles with other word slingers. Kicking off Friday with a preview reception, the two-day affair truly gets swinging on Saturday with a community open mic, a mini Banzai Haiku Battle between 15 poets (with a $200 cash prize for a winner determined by the audience) and ultimately a “world-class, 10-round epic and poetic slug-fest between two of San Antonio’s most celebrated spoken-word artists.” Serving up plenty for the non-poets among us, Viva Poesía also includes workshops, make-and-take art projects, food trucks, and music by Los Callejeros De San Anto, Los Nahuatlatos, The Indigenauts, Los De Esta Noche and DJ Plata.