The full 2026 season in one collectible volume — every event, every rookie, every record set on every stage in Modesto, California.
A neighborhood porch party with Neon Radio. Bubbles, disco ball, all invited.
A revue of local bands, painters, and performers sharing one stage. Free entry, all welcome.
Five-minute sets, eight performers, sign-ups at the door, all welcome.
A four-week short fiction intensive with novelist Maya Castillo. Limited seats — apply early.
Eight finalists, one champion, $1,500 in prizes, 1,000+ in the room.
Six emerging Modesto bands. One night. One stage. All free.
— 36 more events this season. Collect them all by showing up.
Once a year, eight of Modesto's best poets take the stage at the historic State Theatre to compete for the title of ILL List Champion.
The judges hold up their scorecards. The crowd of one thousand screams the numbers back. In 2024, for the first time in five years of competition, a card flashed a perfect 10 — and the room lost it.
It's the loudest poetry night in the Central Valley, and we're proud to host it. Five years running and counting.
Read the Story →
Four collectible editions a year — full season program, artist features, hall-of-fame cards, and a hand-printed cover from a different local artist every issue. Mailed free anywhere in Stanislaus County.