Save the Date for the 10th Annual Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival: September 30, 2023
Chappaqua, NY— On Saturday, October 15, over 150 authors and thousands of visitors gathered at the Chappaqua Train Station over a shared love for literature. And this year, the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival, which took place on a picture-perfect autumn day, may have been the largest one yet.
When asked to compare CCBF with other book festivals, author Valerie Bolling shared that “this is definitely the largest; they’re all wonderful, but this is definitely the premiere event.” Similarly, author Sheetal Sheth shared admiration for the festival’s environment and size, saying that CCBF was definitely “at the top.”
This year’s theme was “A Walk Through the Woods” inspired by Hudson Talbott’s poster art. The festival fostered a charming environment filled with gourmet food trucks, food from the Chappaqua Farmers Market, themed tables, and of course an abundance of kids eager to read their newly purchased books.
Some acclaimed authors in attendance included Victoria Kann of the Pinkalicious series and Dan Gutman of The Genius File series, to name a couple. Authors were thrilled to showcase their work to encourage their love for reading.
Sheth’s highlight of the festival was “meeting kids who are like ‘That book is in my school!’ or ‘I read that in my class!’”
Similarly, author Kip Wilson shared that “just meeting teenagers who like historical fiction is really awesome.”
The authors at the event expressed their gratitude for people who approached them to show interest in their work. And this interaction was not only meaningful for the authors, but even more so for the kids as they were able to put a face to the name on the front cover of a book that they love. As a current high-school student, I remember how much I looked forward to a visiting author in middle and elementary school who talked about their books; I always rushed straight home to read their work. And for kids at the book festival, this magic was multiplied as they got to meet and converse with not just one author, but up to 150.
This excitement amongst children at the book festival encourages them to value books and reading. A third-grade girl who attended the festival with her sister and mother said that she “like[s] walking around to see all of the books and then read them later.” Her mother shared that their family had been attending the festival ever since they moved to Chappaqua, returning each year because of all it offers. Getting kids excited about reading is vital, especially at a young age, and the book festival did exactly that.
The CCBF offered a vast array of children and young adult books that spanned numerous genres, allowing everyone there to explore and discover. Sheth captured the event perfectly, calling it a “playground of books.”
The ninth annual Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival was a soaring success. Amidst the sunny weather, delicious food, and diversity of books, everyone could be seen with a smile on their face, appreciating the strong sense of community and connectedness the event fostered.
Editor’s Note: The Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival is lead by its founder & executive director Dawn Evans Greenberg and her all volunteer team. The Inside Press is proud to be an official sponsor of the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival. Chappaqua and beyond are eagerly anticipating a milestone 10th year festival, set to take place on September 30, 2023! – Grace
