BAM FESTIVAL RETURNS IN PERSON APRIL 9, 2022, WITH 39 AWARD-WINNING AUTHORS & ILLUSTRATORS IN DOWNTOWN WEST PALM BEACH
Festival is free and open to the public and celebrates books, art, and music
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
West Palm Beach, Fla. (March 21, 2022)- BAM Festival is pleased to announce that it will return in person on April 9, 2022, 10 am – 4 pm with 39 national award-winning authors and illustrators. The festival takes place in downtown West Palm Beach at the Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach and the 400 block of Clematis Street. The event is free and open to the public and celebrates books, art, and music through interactive activities including book signings, author readings and writing workshops, illustrator demonstrations and activities, writing and drawing competitions, live music, street chalk drawing and more.
“BAM is bigger and better than ever this year with almost 40 bestselling authors, illustrators, and musicians. The festival gives children and young adults a chance to meet, learn, and be inspired by their favorite authors and illustrators,” said Claire Salmon, President of BAM. “It is truly a unique experience that can inspire children to read, write, and explore the next level for those aspiring to be authors and artists.”
An event highlight is the author and illustrator panels that take place at the Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach from 10 am – 4pm and include author story times and a variety of panels and workshops that will inspire and ignite the imagination. A total of thirty-four panels are available for K-5th grader, middle schoolers, and young adults. For a complete schedule of activities and author/illustrator panels visit, https://www.bamwpb.org.
Panelists and presenters include: Audrey Ades, Alexandra Alessandri, Valerie Bolling, Vanessa Brantley-Newton, Yangsook Choi, Christina Diaz Gonzalez, Antwan Eady, Robert Forbes, Van G. Garrett, Lauren Gibaldi, Shannon Hitchcock, Kim Johnson, Adib Khorram, Stephen Kozan, David LaRochelle, Jarrett Lerner, Lynne Marie, Ed Masessa, Kwame Mbalia, Juana Medina, Jenin Mohammed, G. Neri, Kerry O’Malley Cerra, Claribel A. Ortega, Linda Sue Park, Akshaya Raman, Stacie Ramey, Jess Redman, Debbie Reed Fischer, Shauna Reynolds, Chad & Dad Richardson, Rob Sanders, Neal Shusterman, Eric Smith, Dana Swift, Danette Vigilante, Sherri Winston, Mike Wohnoutka, and Ashley Woodfolk.
Participants can pre-register at https://www.bamwpb.org/signup to begin receiving information and updates and a chance to win prizes and giveaways that could include a meet and greet with their favorite author/illustrator, BAM merchandise, book swag, signed books and posters and more. For those that cannot make it in person, one panel per hour will be streamed on YouTube. Links will be sent out the day of the event to those that register at https://www.bamwpb.org/signup.
Sponsors include Cultural Council of Palm Beach County, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Law Enforcement Trust Fund, Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County, Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches, Webauthor, Publix, Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach, Itto A. Willits Charitable Foundation, Arts & Entertainment District of West Palm Beach, Belle Glade Rotary, Palm Beach County Library System, Discover the Palm Beaches, City of West Palm Beach, West Palm Beach Library Foundation, and Palm Beach County.
About BAM Festival of Palm Beach County:
BAM Festival brings together authors, artists, musicians, teachers, students, and the community to share their love of books, art, and music. Founded in 2011, BAM is a non-profit organization dedicated to children’s literacy that has served over 166,000 local youth and families. All proceeds support children’s literacy, fund author visits to schools, provide Title I schools with books, and provide scholarship opportunities for writers. Its mission is to introduce children and young adults to the authors of the books they love and read. Originally titled “April is for Authors,” the event was re-branded “BAM Festival” in 2018 to include not only books, but art and music. The festival is free to the public and the organization provides buses to families from under-served areas. For more information visit, https://www.bamwpb.org.