Your cart is currently empty!
Ode to Boca
A unique opportunity for residents to
reflect on their connection to the city
Ode to Boca is designed to transform your zip code into an occasion for place-based, lyrical celebration. It’s a civic storytelling initiative that celebrates the heart and soul of Boca Raton through poetry, place, and public expression. Launched as part of the City’s Centennial, the program invites residents to write personal odes to their home following reflections that highlight the people, places, and experiences that define our community.
Ode to Boca
What begins with a creative prompt becomes a powerful poetic homage to shape the city. Through the Ode to Boca program, selected poems are transformed into art installations, placemaking projects, and interactive experiences that turn personal voice into public space. Ode to Boca ensures that the story of Boca Raton is not only told, but seen, felt, and shared for generations.
How to Ode to Boca
It’s easy! Five lines, with each line containing the number of words based on your zip code.
- Using the link below, start by writing the numbers of your zip code down the left side of the page.
- Each number represents how many words should be in that line of the poem.
- Use each line to describe your zip code, neighborhood, or community—think about words, phrases, or feelings that reflect your connection to the area.
Tip: If your zip code includes a zero, that line is a wild card!
You can leave it blank, use an emoji or symbol, or include any number of words from 1 to 9.
Ode to Boca Installations
Background
Inspired by O,Miami’s and WRLN’s original ZipOde poetry program, The City of Boca has partnered with O,Miami in creating Ode to Boca, and empowering our community to express their unique perspectives through poetry. The initiative aims to collect 100 place-based poems, which will be
selected for civic publishing. This collaboration enhances the cultural fabric of Boca Raton during the Centennial and beyond.
Learn more…
Ode to Boca Initiatives
We’ve been actively engaging with the community alongside our partners from O, Miami through workshops and activations this year to collect Odes in person. Everyone in Boca is welcome to participate in OTB as a chance to share what Boca Raton means to them individually or with a group. Contact us at Boca100@BocaRaton-FL.gov
Ode to Boca at BRiC
CP Group/BRiC invited their talented Boca-based tenants to participate in an Ode to Boca contest, celebrating the city’s rich history, vibrant spirit, and iconic landmarks like the Boca Raton Innovation Campus (BRiC).
The selected poems are now a permanent art display in a BRiC hallway, showcasing the power of place-based poetry. Visit the exhibit at 4930 Conference Way N (next to the Baptist Health Primary Care Office) - open to the public.
Juneteenth at
Hughes Park
Hughes Park
The City joined D.I.S.C. of Pearl City to commemorate Juneteenth at Hughes Park. Community members participated in a special Ode to Boca poetry activation – a creative way to celebrate community, culture, and storytelling presented by the City and O, Miami through opportunities at our special Give a Poem / Get a Poem station with local teaching artists.
Boca Street Fest at
Mizner Park
Mizner Park
The City celebrated its inaugural Boca Street Fest event featuring live music performances, a beer garden, a community stage, and a marketplace with local vendors and makers. O, Miami invited residents to learn about the Ode to Boca program and pen their poems to the City. Some brave attendees even read their Odes on the community stage!
Verses & Blooms at
Wildflower Park
Wildflower Park
In partnership with O, Miami, the City invited residents to take part in a poetry workshop at Wildflower Park led by Lucia Leao. Attendees submitted their Odes to Boca in celebration of the Centennial and enjoyed a pressed flower activity with Natalia Cornejo.
University Ode to
Boca Workshops
Boca Workshops
FAU, Lynn University, and Palm Beach State College welcomed Ode to Boca to campus, providing workshops for their students to engage in poetry and community pride.
CocoFest at BRiC
The City joined O, Miami at CocoFest, a free community festival at Boca Raton Innovation Campus (BRiC). The event features all-day movement classes, engaging workshops, live music, and over a hundred small businesses. Attendees were encouraged to pen their personal odes to their zip codes.