Go See This: Whirlikids Book Festival

We’ve had rain and some bone-cold days lately. And it’s been beautiful. As seen through any window, the dreadful days outside could very well be another painting on the wall: a portrait of a cold rainy day in the North Carolina Piedmont. Old farmhouses enveloped in fog; half blurred evergreens standing tall; crows, almost smudges on a charcoal sketch, disappearing hurriedly in the misty air. If your experience hasn’t been this romantic, I get it, for sure. After all, one has to ultimately walk to get to places.

I am just suggesting you hang in there. Or head to McIntyre’s Fine Books in Fearrington Village, where a cozy corner and a working chimney and comfortable couches wait for you.

I was there not long ago to speak with Sara Carr, head of McIntyre’s children’s department. I wanted to ask her about the Whirlikids Book Festival. Before entering fully into the topic, she said she felt like she was, “ready to start the chimney up” to shake the cold out of herself for good. After the flames flickered alive and as we sat down, she commented she loved burning firewood to warm her home. It makes her think of the mythical importance of tending a fire. Just like people who work with books, I thought. Keeping the light of knowledge on. Sara acts the part. Soon the air was warm.

If you love books, you have to Go See This. In fact, McIntyre’s is counting on you, and your friends to attend the upcoming Whirlikids Book Festival. It’d be a good gift for your children. You’ll also have fun, no doubt, since it definitely is a family affair. Packed with wonderment, the one-day event will be a pleasing opportunity for you to meet the people who create the books your children love. Entrance to the event will be free, and it will take place at the Fearrington Barn on Saturday, March 9, from 10am to 4pm.

Along with book authors, Sara has invited a group of book illustrators. All these artists will be gregariously sharing their talents at the Fearrington Barn. Reading from their works, and giving on-site demonstrations of their talent with the palette. Your children will surely enjoy hearing about the artists’ creative process. Sara says that last year over 600 people attended the first Whirlikids Book Festival. They came all the way from Georgia, and Virginia, and other places not quite nearby. Sara expects the second festival to be more of a success. This year, McIntyre’s is bringing over 20 professionals who’ll be arriving from overseas, from across the US, and from nearby North Carolina cities. Sara is especially keen announcing that her guests represent a good measure of diversity. She personally made sure this was the case.

Sara Carr is always busy creating programs for the community she calls home. She lives in Pittsboro with her family, and is convinced that in Chatham County there exists a tremendous enthusiasm both for reading and for books. Sara recalls authors never failing to praise our county’s developed children. For this good news, Sara credits our families, teachers, and school administrators. With McIntyre’s, Sara has developed a strong partnership with our county’s schools, and organized many events: Educator’s Night when authors visit schools, the Chatham Young Authors event, and a book giveaway program.

At the book giveaway initiative, in winter and summer breaks, the store hands out more than 1,500 books free-of-charge! If this is the first time you’ve heard about the project, here’s one fact: a donation of $40 can sponsor an entire classroom in any of our elementary schools. (Call McIntyre’s if you have questions regarding this, or any of their programs: 919-542-3030.)

While thinking that our county was ripe for her Whirlikids Book Festival, Sara Carr doesn’t fail to recognize gratitude towards author Sara Mlynowski for suggesting the possibility of a book event of this magnitude. “It was a given,” said Sara Carr. In our geographical area, there aren’t many book festivals that cater to early readers, and McIntyre’s is already a destination for the industry’s promotional tours. Plus, there is the fact of our area’s demographic boom. The Whirlikids Book Festival and all the other programs McIntyre’s hosts, are a response to our county’s growth and growing demands. After all, McIntyre’s story time hours, which run twice a week, host anywhere from 30 to 50 attendees per session.

It was “simply” a matter of putting together an event that could give authors the opportunity to meet a large number of people, and for people to meet interesting and well-known authors and illustrators without having to move from venue to venue. That’s Whirlikids. McIntyre’s has the tradition, the infrastructure, and Sara Carr.

What:  Whirlikids Book Festival
When:  Saturday, March 9, 2019 from 10am to 4pm
Where:  The Barn, Fearrington Village, 2000 Fearrington Village Center
What will it cost me:  Admission to the event is free
Accessibility:  Yes
Parking:  Free and plentiful around the village center