BATON ROUGE, La (press release) – The Louisiana Center for the Book in the State Library of Louisiana announces the cancellation of the 2020 Louisiana Book Festival due to the current pandemic. The 2020 Louisiana Book Festival was originally scheduled for Saturday, October 31. This decision was made after carefully evaluating the evolving circumstances as well as considering the needs and availability of all of our partners including our supporting foundation, vendors, authors, moderators, and volunteers.
“We know the Louisiana Book Festival is a big part of the fall season and not having it will be disappointing to many,” said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. “But my office is committed to doing our part to keep our community safe by putting the health and safety of the public and our employees at the forefront in making decisions.”
The internationally-recognized and award-winning Louisiana Book Festival brings together private industry, community stakeholders, and local, state, and federal partners each year to present a festival that highlights and celebrates Louisiana’s tremendous literary heritage and each year brings over 20,000 people from all over the world to downtown Baton Rouge.
“As we made this decision, I was reminded our literary community and those who support it are some of Louisiana’s greatest treasures,” said State Librarian Rebecca Hamilton. “Together we have created something incredibly meaningful that stands as a tribute to Louisiana and tells her story with voices that represent all of us; that story will continue to be told until the 2021 Louisiana Book Festival brings us together again.”
The Louisiana Book Festival is a free event that takes place in the heart of Baton Rouge in the Louisiana State Capitol, State Library of Louisiana, Capitol Park Museum, and tents on neighboring streets each fall. It features over 200 authors and panelists discussing their books and more than 100 programs, including the Young Readers’ Pavilion, where children and parents enjoy storytelling and performances; Teen Headquarters, featuring bestselling and award-winning young adult authors; and a wide variety of book-related activities, exhibitors, and performances.
For more information about the festival and future dates, visit www.LouisianaBookFestival.org.
