Our family went to the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on Sunday. I had anticipated that it would be crowded, but especially the Target Children's Stage area was full of families and young children. Especially since I chose to take the double stroller so that either my wife or I could push both kids around (expecting them to be tired easily because of the heat and crowds). But unfortunately, UCLA's physical space and the set up for the Festival were not designed for a double-wide stroller.We went to see some of the authors speak and sign books, particularly Katharine Hollabird, the author of the Angelina Ballerina series. I also had a lot of fun listening to Mo Willems, the author of Knuffle Bunny and Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, read and act out his books.
I made it out to the main, non-children's section of the festival, where I got the chance to browse some of the arts organizations, public libraries, and independent book sellers. If you've never been and you have any interest in books, reading, or cultural organizations like local theater, it's worthwhile to go at least once.
Much of the sprawling UCLA campus is filled with tents for the hundreds of vendors/organizations with four or five major stages (including a cooking stage) and major authors and celebrity authors reading from their books or in discussion with a moderator (most are ticketed events, but Julie Andrews read from her new children's book to the open Target stage audience).
For children there were two separate children's areas and stages, performers and children's authors reading from their books, a small participation circus, and several arts and crafts stations.
Being a person who doesn't enjoy going to places that have lots and lots of crowds, it was a bit tiring to be there. And the record temperatures on Saturday and Sunday didn't help. But it was a lot of fun for our kids, and a moderately enjoyable time for my wife and me.
