The Word on the Street Festival encourages reading across Canada for children and adults. Lethbridge is just one of the cities across the country the festival is held in.
The Word on the Street Festival is on its way to becoming a tradition in Lethbridge. With aim of improving literacy throughout the city, the festival allows organizations and writers to come together. Event co- coordinator Bonnie Mikalson Andron says diversity is one of the festival’s strengths.
“It changes every year, four years is not a long time to have been doing a festival. So there are always some little tweaks. This year we have a great cross section of authors, a great group exhibitors coming out and some great bands on our main stage.”
“We just to get a different variety of writers: fiction, non-fiction, adult, teen, kids and just have a wide spectrum for the community to see.”
Author and art journalist Halli Liburn was one of the many writers exhibiting her works at the Word on the Street and she believes in the festival.
“I’m an advocate of literacy and I find that giving kids especially, the opportunity of reading something they like is really important to me. That’s one of the reasons I put my book together was for my own children. I wanted material that I approved of that is fast paced and engaging to help expanding their imagination.”
Literacy is alive and well at The Word on the Street Festival, with adults and children alike improving their literacy skills.
This year’s festival was regarded a success by the library and will be returning for a fifth year next fall.