KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Knox County Public Library has announced that the annual Children's Festival of Reading will be hosted at World's Fair Park on May 21.
The Festival is partnering with the 40th Anniversary Celebration of the 1982 World’s Fair with world-class authors and illustrators, science demonstrations, arts and crafts, music and more.
From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., attendees will have a chance to meet storybook characters from "The Very Hungry Caterpillar", "Dragon Loves Tacos" and "Rainbow Fish."
This event marks the official kickoff of the Knox County Public Library summer library club.
Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs will lead the Parade of Books, which steps off at 2:00 p.m. and everyone is invited to join the procession. The event is free and open to the public.
"The Children's Festival of Reading is a great way to kick off the summer," Jacobs said. "Our community is embracing reading, and that will make a huge difference in our children's lives. We started the Read City initiative to help all children, regardless of their socio-economic background, learn to read. This Festival is a great way to celebrate our achievements and to keep the momentum going."
The Children’s Festival of Reading was made possible through the generous support of Visit Knoxville, Tennessee Arts Commission, Humanities Tennessee, Blue Cross Blue Shield Community Trust, Downtown Knoxville Alliance, East Tennessee Pediatric Dentistry, ORNL Federal Credit Union, Pilot Corporation and the Friends of the Knox County Public Library.