May 31
Walt Whitman’s 200th Birthday! Whitman scholars David Reynolds & Jerome Loving hold a panel presentation from 10:30am – 12pm. The Final Session of the Walt Whitman Initiative’s “Whitman International Week” is held at the Birthplace. Groups of Scholars attending the week-long celebration are coming to Birthplace on their final day to tour our historic site from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm. Afternoon activities include a poets’ corner and Whitman-era music and crafts from noon – 5:00 pm. From 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm, join fellow Whitman enthusiasts for a “Happy Birthday Hour” and toast Walt in honor of his 200th birthday. Compagnia de’ Colombari presents “More Or Less I Am,” a music- theater piece drawn from Walt Whitman’s 1855 “Song of Myself.” The troupe, comprised of 8 actor/singers and 4 musicians, will circulate in the Town of Huntington Friday afternoon reciting poetry in open spaces as prelude to evening performance (7:30 pm – 8:30 pm). Closing Whitman revelries take place at 9:00 pm.

June 1
High School students attend writing workshops and offer presentations of their poetry. We will also host a collaboration with the “Bard’s Initiative,” a local poetry group, to stage a marathon reading of Leaves of Grass in front of the Birthplace.

June 2
Poet’s Picnic. A musical presentation featuring Whitman-era music. High School students stage mini-poetry scenes throughout the day. Docents as historic figures in costume circulate with visitors. We also unveil our 2019 Time Capsule in honor of Whitman’s Bicentennial.