WELCOME TO THE 7TH ANNUAL
Admission: Free
Description: Discover the journey and lost stories of The Deepest Blue by Shauntay Grant and illustrations by Daniel Minter. Experience a talk with guest speakers Gabrielle Miller, Marine Archaeologist and co-coordinator of the Slave Wrecks Project, and award-winning illustrator Daniel Minter, followed by an introspective zine workshop exploring the past, present, and future.
Organization: Indigo Arts Alliance
Time: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Location: Indigo Arts Alliance
60 Cove Street
Portland, ME 04101
Admission: Free
Description: Hello Hello Books will present a read-aloud of featured festival books Beautiful Blackbird and The Deepest Blue. These books will be available in-store for giveaways throughout September and October.
Organization: Hello Hello Books
Time: 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Location: Hello Hello Books
316 Main Street
Rockland, ME 04841
View Event: Coming Soon
Admission: Free
Description: An in-person schedule of activities for the whole family, including a read-aloud of Saturday by Oge Mora.
Organization: The Waterville Public Library, Waterville Creates, Children’s Discovery Museum
Time: 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Location: Waterville Public Library
73 Elm Street
Waterville, ME 04901
View Event: Coming Soon
Admission: Free
Description: Saturday by Oge Mora as the featured StoryWalk® at the Reed Field StoryWalk® trail
Organization: Waterville Public Library, Waterville Creates, Children’s Discovery Museum
Time: Ongoing
Location: Waterville Public Library
58 Drummond Avenue
Waterville, ME 04901
View Event: Coming Soon
Admission: Activities and book included in the price of admission to the Gardens.
Description: Guests visiting Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens on September 19 can participate in a Beautiful Blackbird-inspired craft and take home a free copy of “A Beautiful Blackbird” or “The Deepest Blue.” All activities are located in the Gardens’ Alfond Children’s Garden between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Organization: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
Time: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Location: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
105 Botanical Gardens Dr.
Boothbay Harbor, ME 04537
View Event: Coming Soon
Admission: Free
Description: Art Walk LA fosters community and celebrates the vitality of Lewiston / Auburn by turning the downtown into a bustling arts district on the final Friday of each month in the summer. The final iteration of this year’s Art Walk will be centered around the Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival. More details will follow in early September.
Organization: LA Arts
Time: 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Location:
72 Lisbon Street
Lewiston, ME 04240
View Event: Coming Soon
Admission: Free
Description: Join Maine MILL as we celebrate the Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival with a day of free, hands-on activities inspired by this year’s featured books!
10:30 a.m. – Storytime & Activity
Gather in our Chiarello Children’s Center for a special storytime with guest reader Melissa Hue. After the reading, families are invited to participate in a creative hands-on activity inspired by the story.
1:00 p.m. – Family Art Workshop
Create together during a family-friendly art project inspired by Koroba: The Case of the Missing Kolo. This engaging activity encourages creativity while exploring themes from the book.
Available All Day
• Pick up free copies of this year’s Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival book selections while supplies last.
• Design your own Beautiful Blackbird button at our button-making station.
• Explore special Design Lab activities inspired by the festival’s books and themes.
Whether you join us for a single activity or spend the day exploring, Maine MILL invites families to celebrate stories, creativity, and community through books.
Organizations: Indigo Arts Alliance, Maine MILL, The Third Place
Time: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Location: Maine MILL
1 Beech Street
Lewiston, ME 04240
View Event: Coming Soon
Admission: Free
Description: The Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine (CMTM) is proud to partner with Indigo Arts Alliance , along with other statewide partners, for the 6th annual Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival—a celebration of children’s book authors and illustrators of the African Diaspora. This special event will include art-making experiences, read-alouds, and interactive literary activities for the whole family. Stay tuned for more details!
Admission to the festival is FREE, part of CMTM’s ongoing commitment to removing barriers that families may face in accessing the Museum & Theatre. Free admission applies to children and their caregivers; adult visitors must be accompanied by a child.
Organization: The Children’s Museum & Theater of Maine
Time: Full Day
Location: The Children’s Museum & Theater of Maine
250 Thompsons Point Road
Portland, ME 04102
View Event: Coming Soon
Admission: Free
Description: Maine Arts Academy presents a the month-long exhibition highlighting Hairstory by Sope Martins, illustrated by Briana Mukodiri Uchendu; The Night Has Ears by Ashley Bryan; and Sail Away by Langston Hughes, illustrated by Ashley Bryan. There will be an Art Reception opening on Wednesday, September 30th from 5:00 to 7:00 pm.
Organization: Maine Arts Academy, Lithgow Public Library
Time: 5:00 – 7:00 PM
Location: The Lithgow Library
45 Winthrop Street
Augusta, ME 04330
View Event: Coming Soon
Admission: Free
Description: Celebrate the joy of books, art, and community! Stop by the Paul J. Schupf Art Center for free books and a hands-on art activity. Enjoy a special reading of Saturday by Oge Mora presented by the Waterville Public Library, then create your own artwork inspired by the book.
For more information on Maine Lit fest, click here.
Organization: Indigo Arts Alliance, Waterville Creates, the Colby College Museum of Art, the Waterville Public Library, the Colby Arts Office, Maine Lit Fest
Time: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Location: Paul J. Schupf Art Center
93 Main Street
Waterville, ME 04901
Admission: Free
Description: Presented in collaboration with the Maine Lit Festival, this book fair will bring together more than twenty authors and illustrators to share their books and meet with children and families. The event will also feature readings, characters, activities, and book sales.
Organization: Portland Public Library, Maine Lit Festival
Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Location: Portland Public Library
5 Monument Square
Portland, ME 04101
View Event: Coming Soon
Admission: Free
Description: The Strand Theater will celebrate the Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival with a live read-aloud of Saturday by Oge Mora followed by a performance by educator, actor, and theatre-maker, Mélissa Smith. This free school-time program will be offered to local students, homeschool groups, and families with kids not yet in school.
This program is recommended for ages 3-8, or grades Pre-K to 2nd.
Organization: The Strand Theater
Time: 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM
Location: Strand Theatre
345 Main Street
Rockland, ME 04841
Admission: Free
Description: This program invites participants to create a colorful cut paper collage inspired by the ocean. In the book Sail Away, poet Langston Hughes and artist Ashley Bryan celebrate the sea. Take home a free copy of the book as part of the Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival.
Organization: Center for Maine Contemporary Art (CMCA), Midcoast Villager
Time: 1:00 PM- 2:00 PM
Location: Villager Cafe
25 Mechanic Street
Camden, ME 04843
Admission: Free
Description: Celebrate the Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival as part of Rockland’s Sunday Stroll with a book giveaway of Ashley Bryan’s The Night Has Ears: African Proverbs and a family craft activity inspired by the book.
Organization: The Farnsworth Art Museum
Time: 11:00 AM- 3:00 PM
Location: The Farnsworth Art Museum
16 Museum Street,
Rockland, ME 04841
View Event: Coming Soon
Admission: Free
Description: In-school community read with Albert S Hall School in Waterville (grades 4+5). We are highlighting Fibbed!
Organization: Waterville Creates
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Admission: Free
Description: Coming Soon
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Location:
Saccarappa School
Westbrook, ME 04092
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