Come out to third Semillas Open Mic this Friday at 7pm! Vengan a la tercer Semillas micrófono abierto a las 7pm. Check out this open mic’s feature: Peter Lechuga is an incendiary wordsmith, guerilla organizer, Pushcart Prize nominee, PlantBasedgod, and Karaoke King who speaks stories of the Xicano experience which touch on topics of love, grief, and resistance. He is a founder and editor of the quarterly literary journal, the ILL Poetry and Art Anthology, by Curious Publishing, and an editor of the anthology, Together We Rise: Voices from the Frontlines of Freedom, by Daxson Publishing, with all proceeds of this book donated to CHIRLA. Peter’s work has been shared on college campuses, conferences, libraries, museums, city halls and has been published in various literary journals, anthologies, and ‘zines. He is the author of the poetry collection, Myth Opportunities, and co-author of the collab chapbook, Billionaires for Breakfast. When not molotoving the mic, he can be found hiking in the mountains, spitting freestyles.

Come out to third Semillas Open Mic this Friday at 7pm! Vengan a la tercer Semillas micrófono abierto a las 7pm. Check out this open mic’s feature: Anatalia Vallez is a writer, actor and creative alchemist from Orange County with roots in Guerrero, Mexico. She is the author of the poetry collection: The Most Spectacular Mistake (FlowerSong Press, 2020) and several plays including Las Sirenas (LATC, 2022) and La Niña del Volcan (Wayward Artist, 2024). She is the editor of the Homies Who Submit zines and curator for their online community which is dedicated to bringing visibility and opportunities to artists of color.

May is just around the corner! Here is a sneak peak of this month’s happenings at La Colmena. Come join us for a month of community celebration and fun ☀️✨

La próxima Semillas Open Mic será 8 de mayo. Entry donation: $3-5 or nonperishable foods items. Donation para entrada $3-5 o alimentos no perecederas. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. Nadie será negado por falta de fondos. All donations will go to La Colmena. If this is your first open mic, you can share a poem or be a part of the audiences. No requirement to share! Si esto es tu primer Open Mic, puedes leer poesía o estar en la audiencia. No hay requisito para participar. Nos vemos en la poesía. 7-9pm 1901 W Walnut St. Santa Ana, CA

Another Semillas Open Mic in the books. Un gran gracias to all those who were able to come out and support. And to the poets! Shout out to @lamilpacafe for extending their hours. Shout out to those that volunteered their time throughout the event. Shout out to @ellibrofelizyyo for providing some clips! And big shout out to @nopal_cafe and @prettypetitepoems for blessing the stage. Our next open mic will be Friday May 8 at 7pm! Les esperamos!

Looking for fun plans this month that’s rooted in community care and joy? Join us for one of these upcoming events at La Colmena! ☀️ ✨Semillas Open Mic- Friday, 4/3, 7pm ✨Monarch Mercado - Sunday, 4/5, 12-5pm ✨El Mercadito Carrusel - Saturday, 4/25, 10am-6pm

Café con Poesía. La Milpa will be open until 8pm tomorrow with Semillas Open Mic (7-9pm)! Check out their menu! Drinks/Bebidas ~~~~~~~~~~ Cafe Moctezuma (cold/frio) Café de Olla (Frío o caliente/cold or hot) Horchata Cold Brew (frío/cold) Fresas con Crema Matcha (frío/cold) Dulce Passion Hot Tea/Regular Coffee Pastries/Postres ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Empanadas (dulce de leche/piña) Cookie (oatmeal or chocolate chip) Pan de Elote Pan de Hojaldre Banana bread Blueberry muffin

Jacob “Jake” Teran is a proud Chicano living in the San Gabriel Valley, Los Angeles. Jake is a 2nd generation Chicano who was born in Montebello, Los Angeles, east of Los Angeles. His first three short stories were published on an online literary journal, Somos en Escrito, called “A Quiet Night on the Boulevard,” “Niños del Sol,” “No Soy Cholo,” and several other poems in online journals and magazines. He is a Pushcart Prize Nominee for his, “No Soy Cholo,” and a Journal Xinachtli Poetry Award recipient for his poems, “Hijo del Sol” and “Two Generations, One Raza.” Jacob has presented at UC Berkely, Cal State Long Beach University, Watsonville College, and Mt. San Antonio College to share poetry, writing workshops, and discussions on indigeneity and culture to empower student identities through spoken word and poetry. His debut novella, The Calling, was published by Daxson Publishing where he continues to share his newly published book through multiple book and community events. In addition, he is currently teaching composition at several departments in colleges that include indigenous and Chicanx literature. In addition, Jacob is an advocate for social justice, self-care, and embracing the identity of others. Jacob currently lives in the SGV where he is working on several projects based on his experiences growing up in his barrio that deal with gang lifestyle, drugs, violence, and finding one’s identity in a chaotic concrete valley that he calls home. Semillas Open Mic La Colmena Co-op (Santa Ana) 7-9pm Read your own poetry. Read someone else’s poetry. Sing. Rap. Play your instrument. Express yourself.

With roots from the small city of La Puente hidden somewhere in the San Gabriel Valley, Sammy is a Mexican-American educator, poet, spoken word artist, and zine queen. She has found her way back into poetry after a long hiatus, fully immersing herself in the community through, open mics, workshops, and poetry slams. She writes on topics such as feminism, racism, working with children, mental health, love, and heartbreak. Sammy is more often a lover than a fighter but will tackle heavy topics with grit and grace through poetry and performances. You can find samples of her work, upcoming events, shows, and digital zines on her website prettypetitepoems.com. Semillas Open Mic La Colmena Co-op (Santa Ana) 7-9pm Read your own poetry. Read someone else’s poetry. Sing. Rap. Play your instrument. Express yourself.

We hope to see you there! Vengan a la segunda Semillas open mic this Friday! Check out our amazing features. More posts to come!

Greetings community! The second Semillas Open Mic will be held Friday, 4/3 at 7pm. Come share space in poetry and art. We are accepting donations of nonperishable foods or $3-5 for the community pantry. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. Vengan a compartir este espacio de poesía con el espacio de palabra abierta. Estamos aceptando donaciones de $3-$5 o alimentos no perecedos. Nadie será negado por no tener fondos o donaciones. We have two amazing features that will bless the mic! Sammy Herrera With roots from the small city of La Puente hidden somewhere in the San Gabriel Valley, Sammy is a Mexican-American educator, poet, spoken word artist, and zine queen. She has found her way back into poetry after a long hiatus, fully immersing herself in the community through, open mics, workshops, and poetry slams. She writes on topics such as feminism, racism, working with children, mental health, love, and heartbreak. Sammy is more often a lover than a fighter but will tackle heavy topics with grit and grace through poetry and performances. You can find samples of her work, upcoming events, shows, and digital zines on her website prettypetitepoems.com. Jacob Teran Jacob “Jake” Teran is a proud Chicano living in the San Gabriel Valley, Los Angeles. Jake is a 2nd generation Chicano who was born in Montebello, Los Angeles, east of Los Angeles. His first three short stories were published on an online literary journal, Somos en Escrito, called “A Quiet Night on the Boulevard,” “Niños del Sol,” “No Soy Cholo,” and several other poems in online journals and magazines. He is a Pushcart Prize Nominee for his, “No Soy Cholo,” and a Journal Xinachtli Poetry Award recipient for his poems, “Hijo del Sol” and “Two Generations, One Raza.” Jacob has presented at various universities to share poetry, writing workshops, and discussions on indigeneity and culture to empower student identities through spoken word and poetry. His debut novella, The Calling, was published by Daxson

Shout out to all who were able to come through the first Semillas Open Mic at @lacolmena_coop and @lamilpacafe for extending their hours. It was beautiful co-creating community on such a blessed night. Thank you to all the 12 poets (shout out to the first time performers) who stepped to the mic. And apologies if I wasn’t able to catch a video. Thank you to the homies, the features who shared their powerful poetry @typawaypoetry and @ceasarkavelar . To the semillas that were planted that night. And to the future semillas to be planted. And to co creating a world of through the art of palabra. The next Semillas Open Mic will be Friday, April 3, 2026 at 7pm! Come through and bring nonperishable foods to donate to the community pantry or a $5 donation. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.