About the Festival

The first-ever Missouri Book Festival will celebrate the best of regional life, culture, and history with an array of dynamic programming meant to promote literacy and encourage reading. Events will take place August 25–27 in Washington, the quintessential Missouri town. Here, books that feature stories on the Show-Me State will come to life in food demonstrations, sports exhibitions, myriad forms of performance, and lively author talks and discussions. Missourians of all ages will hear from regional authors while gaining insight into the content they produce and the writing process. Not only will attendees enjoy festivities that truly reflect our state, they’ll also have the opportunity to browse for their next favorite book!

Planned activities include:

• Soapbox derby and car show celebrating local automotive history

• Circus performance featuring regional performers

• Wrestling at the Chase tribute

• Food demos: sausage-making, baking, beer sampling

• The Purina Incredible Dog Team

• Historical scavenger hunt featuring local architecture

• Irish music and dancing

Join the Community Literacy Foundation as we get “Roped into Reading”

Young readers will Get Roped into Reading all around our neighborhood bookstore during the Missouri Book Festival. In the front yard, the nonprofit Community Literacy Foundation will host activities for children centered around rope-making: craft your own rope the old-fashioned way, see how local first-responders knot their ropes for rescues, and learn vintage jump rope rhymes! Throughout the day under the giant Dawn Redwood tree in the bookstore’s backyard, grab a blanket as Missouri authors read aloud their books in storytimes at the top of every hour. Following the readings, the bookstore staff will host children’s activities tied to the featured books.