Taking a page from the tea party handbook, the coffee party is planning to hold its first national convention later this month.

The Louisville, Ky., meeting  comes just two weeks after the tea parties hold their annual 9/12 rally in Washington, D.C. The liberal coffee party movement sprung earlier this year in opposition to the tea parties.

The convention has two main objectives, according to coffee party leader Annabel Park: to discuss modern-day challenges to the Constitution and promote dialogue across political lines.

"It's very important that Americans know what's actually in the Constitution and what are some live Constitutional issues that we're facing today," Park said.

Tea-party groups have also emphasized the need to study the Constitution. The conservative activists often hand out copies of the document at rallies, and some have held study groups to read and discuss it.

The weekend event begins September 24 and is expected to draw liberal activists like gay-rights demonstrator Dan Choi and MomsRising founder Elisa Batista as well as some conservatives.

Mark McKinnon, a communications strategist for Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) presidential campaign, also plans to attend.

"We're going to have people from different parties sitting together and trying to come to an agreement about what really are substantive differences that we have and what are areas where is there is agreement," Park said. "It's very easy to exaggerate the differences."

-- Ambreen Ali, Congress.org