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PAST NEWS ARCHIVE
October 18, 2001
Contact: Patricia Fraga, Austin Public Library, (512) 974-7528
Fax: (512) 974-7442

Storyfest: a Storybook Festival for Families

As part of the Austin Public Library's 75th birthday celebration, the Faulk Central Library will present Storyfest, a free storybook festival for families, on Saturday, November 3, 2001, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., at Wooldridge Park (between 9th and 10th Streets, west of Guadalupe), the Austin History Center (810 Guadalupe), and the Faulk Central Library (800 Guadalupe).

At 10 a.m., come rain or come shine, Storyfest will begin with opening songs in the park gazebo by Joe McDermott. Storytelling in the park starts after Joe's performance. Two tents will be set up - one for young children, the other for older kids. Each tent will feature a storyteller every 45 minutes, with the last one beginning at 1:00 p.m. Tellers will include Carl Anderson, Lisa Baker, Doyle Carter, Marianna Gage, Donna Ingham, Kim Lehman, Consuelo Samarripa, and Joanie Stewart. The Central Texas Storytelling Guild will provide emcees David Thompson and John Tucker.

Also in the park, children's activities and crafts will be offered throughout the festival by such organizations as the Austin Children's Museum, KLRU, the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and others. The Austin History Center will be taking photos of Austin's youth with accessories from the 1920s. Concessions will be for sale, but feel free to bring a picnic lunch; no pets, please.

Between 10:45 a.m. and going to 1:00 p.m., local children's authors will read from their works at the Austin History Center. Jane Scoggins Bauld (Hector Saves the Moon), Mary Lankford (Is It Dark, Is It Light?), Cynthia Leitich-Smith (Jingle Dancer), and Janice and Tom Shefelman (Comanche Song) are all on board.

Local children's book illustrators, Don Tate and Gwen Thigpen, will offer demonstrations in the Faulk Library children's area, beginning at 12:15 p.m.

Fuzzy, friendly storybook characters will also be on hand—Hank the Cowdog, Corduroy the Bear, Cookie Mouse, and ECHO the Bat.

Book sales will be offered by the Friends of the Austin Public Library.

At 1:40 p.m. in the children's area of the Faulk Central Library, the Hand to Mouth Puppet Theatre will present the puppet show Why Cowboys Sing in Texas as the day's finale.

The Austin History Center will debut a special exhibition of puppets on November 3. Entitled PUPPETS!: From Sock Figures to Sicilian Marionettes, the exhibit will feature hand-carved wooden marionettes from master puppeteer Don Harms, some amazing puppets from Nancy Renfro Studios and the Hand-To-Mouth Puppet Theatre, two 4-foot marionettes from the Stanley Marcus Collection of the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, and a wonderful collection of figures from the puppet shows of the Austin Public Library. These whimsical and intriguing puppets will surely delight viewers of all ages. The free exhibit will run through January 27, 2002, and will be open to the public during regular hours at the Austin History Center: 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday-Thursday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Friday and Saturday; and noon-6 p.m. on Sunday.

Free parking will be available at the Travis County parking garage, 10th and San Antonio Streets.

Storyfest is presented by the Austin Public Library, Austin History Center, and the Central Texas Storytelling Guild. Sponsorship provided by the Austin Public Library Foundation, Southern Union Gas, Grande Communications, Inc., Austin American-Statesman, and the radio station Oldies 103.

Please visit the APL Web site at http://www.cityofaustin.org/library/ for additional information about Storyfest or library information.

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