Free Festival Brings Renowned Children’s Authors, Performers to Area

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Johnstown, PA (Apr. 1, 2014) – It’s not every day that a child gets to meet an author of a beloved book. This year, The Learning Lamp hopes to connect kids to three acclaimed children’s authors during the Children’s Book Festival of Johnstown. The three-day event kicks off this Friday, Apr. 4 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. and runs Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 12 to 4 p.m. All festivities take place at the Bottle Works Ethnic Arts Center in Johnstown.

“For six years, the Children’s Book Festival of Johnstown has opened thousands of kids up to the wonder of books,” said Angela Rizzo, development director at The Learning Lamp. “Just last year, we served 4,500 adults and children from all over the region with events leading up to and during the festival. This year, we’re hoping to top that number and instill a love of reading in even more children.”

• During Friday’s kick-off, families will be treated to presentations from each of our headlining authors, which include Gail Carson Levine (Ella Enchanted), Debbie Dadey (Adventures of the Bailey School Kids) and James Warhola (Uncle Andy’s). Beauty and the Beast Storytellers will also take the stage to lead kids in a whimsical storytelling session.
• On Saturday, all three headlining authors will return, along with presentations from local authors Ken Clark and Liz Kriston, as well as an encore presentation of Beauty and the Beast Storytellers. A real crowd pleaser, Zany Umbrella Circus, a folksy circus act out of Pittsburgh, will also perform.
• Sunday will feature Gail Carson Levine and Ohio children’s author Meaghan Fisher. Children’s musician/authorMark Weakland will perform in the afternoon. Following Weakland’s performance will be a presentation from Stunt Lab, a wacky duo that uses everyday objects to perform unusual tricks and stunts.

All this week prior to the festival, illustrations by James Warhola will be on display at the Artworks Building at Bottleworks. As in years past, pre-festival activities also include two full days of school visits that extend our guest artists’ outreach to hundreds of children in a two-county area.

Throughout the free, three-day festival, ongoing activities include kids’ crafts, a new and used book sale, a story corner, book signings, a “meet and greet” with the authors, a bookmark contest and a book giveaway.Every child that attends the festival leaves with a free book through FirstBook! Bookmark contest winners in each age bracket receive a basketful of age-appropriate books. Festival-goers can also qualify to win a new Pebble Smartwatch. The high-tech watch syncs up with Apple and Android devices to keep you in the loop while on the go.

For more information on the festival, call The Learning Lamp at 814-262-0732 or check out the Children’s Book Festival of Johnstown Facebook page.

The 6th Annual Children’s Book Festival of Johnstown was supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

This project was supported in part by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.