The historic little town of La Conner transforms into Planet Poet during the festival, with poets and poetry lovers jamming sidewalks and cafes. Last festival, Seattle poet/novelist/comic Sherman Alexie, after seeing a sign in a restaurant advertising “poet food,” declared: “It’s like we’re in this weird village.” B.C. poet Lorna Crozier, after being stopped on the street – by teenagers! – for her autograph, said: “That would never have happened anywhere else, in any other city.”