MACON – This Saturday, hundreds of children from several of the neighborhood’s schools will gather at Tattnall Square Park for a day of adventure, fun and literacy. Sponsored and organized by seniors in Mercer University’s Service Scholars program, the Adventure Reading Festival is a free event that runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is intended to encourage children to love reading and to stimulate their imaginations as they head into the summer. The event is free and open to the public.
Emceed by award-winning musician Floco Torres, the festival will fill the park with Mercer students dressed up as beloved storybook characters, as well as demonstrations of stage combat with swords and cutlasses from Mercer Theatre, directed by Scot Mann. The elementary school students are encouraged to come in costume as well but even if they don’t, each will have a chance to “get in character” with face-painting, making their own books and other fun activities.
The children will meet local author and Mercer graduate Rhonda Singletary, who give a reading of her first book, Project Dreams. The book tells the story of a young girl named Osha who realizes that to reach her dreams of becoming a doctor, she will have to leave her home and family in the housing projects, but she can always keep it close to her heart. Macon’s Crossroads Writers Conference is sponsoring 75 free copies of Project Dreams for children in attendance.
The event is organized by Mercer senior service scholars Brittany Vorreiter, Jeannie Nora and Chelsea Flieger and is co-sponsored by Mercer Service Scholars and Crossroads Writers Conference.
— 30 —
