Leave your wallets and purses at home, parents, because this year’s second-annual literacy festival is totally, 100 percent FREE. You know the rule that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t? That’s not the case here.
The Granite State Reading Council will be turning Merrimack Valley Middle and High Schools, 106 Village St., Penacook, into book central on Saturday, April 11, from 9 a.m.-noon.
Volunteers will present book-related programs and dress up as characters from kids’ books. Attendees will be given free books to take home, and healthy snacks will be served.
Here’s just a partial list of what (and whom) you might run into:
– Animal crafts
– Meet Abraham Lincoln (Wish him a happy 200th birthday!)
– Live animals from the Squam Lakes Science Center and Audubon Society
– Poetry party
– Rosy the potbelly pig
– Origami activity
– Music from Judy Pancoast
– Build your own telescope
– Easter Bunny
– Curious George
– Box Factory Band
– Math Fun with Sue Pribis
– Volvo Skid School
– Search and rescue dogs demonstration
– “Bugs! Bugs! Bugs!” with Dr. Paul Johnson, entomologist
– Clifford
– Elmo
– Quincy Whitney, author
– Seacoast Science Center sharks
– Cynthia Neale, author
– Ralph Masiello, “Icky Bug Man” illustrator
– First Colebrook Bank moose
– Sled dogs and equipment
– Fire trucks.
It’s more fun than you can shake a stick at.
Last year, more than 2,000 people attended the event (held in Tilton) from 38 different towns. This year, the goal is to give away 10,000 books. That means you should probably bring something sturdy to carry your book loot home in.
There will be staff on hand to help with parking, but for your planning purposes, parking is available at both schools, Beede Electric, Rolfe Park and Penacook Elementary School. Street parking is permitted unless there is a sign prohibiting it. The Concord buses do not run on Saturday, so parking is allowed in those bus stop areas.
For more information, call the Granite State Reading Council at 226-4219.
