Books by the Banks, the annual festival that celebrates all things books, takes place on Saturday, Oct. 11, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Duke Energy Convention Center (525 Elm St.). Parents will want to stop by the Kids Corner for story times, crafts, character meet and greets, and live entertainment from the likes of Joel Caithamer, Playhouse in the Park, Hands Up Puppet Troupe and the Et Cetera Storytelling Troupe! Face painting, balloon sculptures, a Brain Quest challenge and more are all included in the day’s festivities.
Teens will want to tag along for a chance to “speed date” with authors at the festival — hop from table to table to meet authors like Mindee Arnett, Laura Bickle, Katherine Howe, and more, as well as play some games like Pictionary and Battleship throughout the day. At 3 p.m., Spearpoint, a local teen rock band, will give a live performance.
For a complete schedule of the day, head to booksbythebanks.com. Plenty of parking will be available in the garages surrounding the convention center, for directions, click here.