A Perfect Event for Bookworms

Whether you enjoy reading a paperback or hardback version of a book, a Kindle or an audiobook; whether you buy, borrow or get them on loan from your library; whether you enjoy fiction or non-fiction, you won’t want to miss the Booksville Festival. That’s not a misprint; it’s a clever play on words since the festival will be held in downtown Brooksville.

The festival was the brainchild of Lisa Callea, a local businesswoman. It got off the ground with the help of Natalie Kahler, president of the local Woman’s Club, along with fourteen other individuals: Betsy Ahrens, Allisa Babor, Brian Brijbag, Jennifer Callea, Lara Dedmon, Esprit Herbert, Kevin Herbert, Kyle Marra, Barry Meindl, Camille Padula, Kim DeWitt Paff, Joe Pecura, Bob Steffensrud, and Dr. Margy Wollerton. The group has been planning the event for about a year.

“This year marks the 115th anniversary of the Brooksville Woman’s Club. One of our initial projects was starting the first library in Hernando County. We managed the library for several decades, and hosted reading events for kids and assisted the library in many ways. This seemed like the best way to honor our past and celebrate our community’s present,” remarked Ms. Kahler.

The Festival takes place Saturday, January 25 in downtown Brooksville on Main Street from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. You’ll have the opportunity to meet local authors, hear them speak about their works and possibly hear them read portions of their books. And, of course, their books will be for sale. Approximately fifty authors will be participating, representing youth and adult fiction and non-fiction in a variety of genres−from mystery and historical fiction to steampunk, gardening and romance and much more.

There will be a Costume Contest open to all ages in which you can dress up as your favorite literary character. Prizes will be awarded in the following age groups: adult, teen, child. There is also a category for groups, just in case you and a few friends want to dress up as Harry Potter and his fellow wizards or Winnie the Pooh and the residents of the Hundred Acre Wood or any other group of characters. Contestants will participate in a parade and should be at the staging area at Lamar Avenue at 10:30 am for photos. The parade will kick off at 11:00 am.

You can show off your orthographic skills and enter the Spelling Bee. It’s open to children in grades 1 -12.

But wait! That’s not all. You can display your artistic talent by entering the Art Contest and submitting a drawing based on your favorite book.
Applications for all three competitions can be found at www.booksville.org. Vendor spaces are still available as well. Preference for vendors will be given to products related to books, reading or literature. For more information on those go to www.booksville.org.

Brick-and-mortar businesses are encouraged to sell one or more of the books in their place of business prior to the festival. Those who sign up will receive Booksville Festival stickers at no cost to help promote the festival. Each book should be accompanied by a sticker upon purchase. Hosts will be given credit on the Booksville Festival website and their addresses will be included on the Google Map for the Book Trail. For more details and to apply, log onto www.booksville.org.

This is a perfect time of the year to have a family-friendly event. If you plan on attending, it’s best to get there early for the best parking spaces. Be aware also that some streets will be blocked off.

Come on out and support your local authors, be inspired and have a good time.