Lit Fest - Lighthouse Writers Workshop 2026

Inspired by Rick Rubin’s The Creative Act, this generative workshop will loosen your sense of perfectionism and open the door to creative possibility. Through the practices of stillness, attention, and mindful observation, we’ll quiet the inner critic, welcome flaws on the page, and make them part of the creative process. Guided exercises will turn mistakes into unexpected openings and reveal new textures in your writing. Leave with pages that surprise you and a renewed sense of creative freedom.

It’s brunch! And this year we're bringing back bingo with local drag queen Alice Glamoure! Come celebrate Lit Fest with delicious food from Scratch Catering Services, cocktails, mocktails, and some friendly bingo competition with your fellow LGBTQIA+ writers and creatives. The first three winners will receive prizes, including a choice of a book written by Lighthouse’s Queer Creatives faculty. 

Queer Creatives focuses on queer writers and makers in Colorado. We aim to connect queer creatives with peers because we know that LGBTQIA+ lives are enriched and affirmed through collective storymaking and storysharing. No matter how your creativity manifests, no matter how your queerness manifests, this is a space for you!

If the ticket price will prevent you from attending this year’s brunch, please complete a writership application to register for a discounted or free spot.
We will have a Sober Safe Space available on the second floor during this event. This is a welcoming, inclusive gathering place for people in all forms of recovery or anyone who wants to have a space to connect without alcohol during Lit Fest 2026. There will be snacks. NA beverages, writing prompts, and conversation starters available during this time. 

For more resources and recovery meetings close to Lighthouse, you can visit: https://www.yorkstreetclub.com/Schedule

Panelists include: Camille Bromley (NYT Opinion Special Projects), Alexander Lumans (American Short Fiction), Holly Amos (Poetry), and Jane Huffman (Denver Quarterly)

Publishing a poem, essay, news piece, or short story can be a huge accomplishment on its own, but it can also be the first move in a much longer game. This panel brings together editors from literary magazines, newspapers, and major outlets (including an editor from American Short Fiction, a special projects editor from New York Times Opinion, an editor from Poetry, and an editor from Denver Quarterly) to talk about what they're looking for, how to get their attention, and what a single well-placed piece can set in motion. One Lighthouse writer published just such an essay in the Times, and watched it become the foundation of her book published in February. Come hear how that happens, and how to start building your own trail of clips, credits, and opportunities.

Panelists include: Camille Bromley (NYT Opinion Special Projects), Alexander Lumans (American Short Fiction), Holly Amos (Poetry), and Jane Huffman (Denver Quarterly)

Publishing a poem, essay, news piece, or short story can be a huge accomplishment on its own, but it can also be the first move in a much longer game. This panel brings together editors from literary magazines, newspapers, and major outlets (including an editor from American Short Fiction, a special projects editor from New York Times Opinion, and others TBA) to talk about what they're looking for, how to get their attention, and what a single well-placed piece can set in motion. One Lighthouse writer published just such an essay in the Times, and watched it become the foundation of her book published in February. Come hear how that happens, and how to start building your own trail of clips, credits, and opportunities.

Hear readings from members of Lighthouse’s faculty while enjoying some of our Happy Hour offerings.
Our Lineup
Christina Rivera
Joy Sawyer
Megan O'Grady
Seth Brady Tucker
Rachel Weaver

We will have a Sober Safe Space available on the second floor during this event. This is a welcoming, inclusive gathering place for people in all forms of recovery or anyone who wants to have a space to connect without alcohol during Lit Fest 2026. There will be snacks. NA beverages, writing prompts, and conversation starters available during this time. 
For more resources and recovery meetings close to Lighthouse, you can visit: https://www.yorkstreetclub.com/Schedule

Hear readings from members of Lighthouse’s faculty while enjoying some of our Happy Hour offerings. This is the Livestream version of this event, if you'd like to attend this in-person, click here.
Our Lineup
Christina Rivera
Joy Sawyer
Megan O'Grady
Seth Brady Tucker
Rachel Weaver

Grab a drink or a bite from our food truck and buckle down in Beacon Hall to hear your favorite visiting author perform their recent works. Afterwards, you can shop at the Lit Fest pop-up bookstore operated by Spell Books and get your book signed. This is the in-person version of this event.

We will have a Sober Safe Space available on the second floor during this event. This is a welcoming, inclusive gathering place for people in all forms of recovery or anyone who wants to have a space to connect without alcohol during Lit Fest 2026. There will be snacks. NA beverages, writing prompts, and conversation starters available during this time. 

For more resources and recovery meetings close to Lighthouse, you can visit: https://www.yorkstreetclub.com/Schedule

Grab a drink or a bite from our food truck and buckle down in Beacon Hall to hear your favorite visiting author perform their recent works. Afterwards, you can shop at the Lit Fest pop-up bookstore operated by Spell Books and get your book signed. This is the livestream version of this event.