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Annual Great Valley Bookfest Celebrates Reading
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Anyone who likes to read won’t want to miss the 2018 Great Valley Bookfest, coming up on Saturday, Oct. 13 in Manteca, hosted at the Bass Pro Center, with books and activities for kids and adults.

The 2018 Great Valley Bookfest is on the schedule for Saturday, Oct. 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Promenade Shops at Orchard Valley in Manteca, also known as the Bass Pro Center.

This year’s Bookfest has an outstanding line-up of over 80 Featured Authors and Exhibiting Authors including award-winners, best sellers and some just getting started. The authors reflect a wide variety of genres, ranging from children’s books to suspense, poetry, fiction, fantasy, history, westerns, mystery, comic books, romance, adult romance, and self-help. Authors will discuss their works and answer questions. Other activities include a writers’ workshop, and slam poetry performances.

Bass Pro Center is at 280 Lifestyles Road, Manteca.

The fun kicks off with a Saturday morning parade at 10 a.m. Children of all ages are invited to march in or out of costume with mascots, favorite characters, and authors. Follow the Marching Band through Authors Alley and into the festival to discover a story or two.

There will also be a special Nosh Boulevard, where participating vendors will include: Black Dragon Beverage Co., Dazzle Dogs Dos Brothers Tacos, The Rock Pizza Oven, Rosas Portuguese Bakery, and Snowie Shaved Ice.

The 2018 Great Valley Bookfest Children’s Pavilion is sponsored by Valley Oak Dental Group and will be featuring amazing authors. Their work covers a broad spectrum of genres including picture books, chapter books, science, ABC’s, mysteries, music, horses and humor. The interactive Children’s Zone area presented by New Life will have something for everyone in the entire family.

Also this year, enjoy a fun way for a chance to win an Amazon Fire HD 8 with Alexa through the 2018 Seek ‘n Stamp Scavenger Hunt. Participants will need to locate five portraits of famous authors scattered throughout the event area. Volunteers will stamp game cards and verify that participants discovered the portraits. Adults and children alike will love to seek and find, especially when the prize opens up the world of eBooks and years of reading adventures. Pick your game card up at the Great Valley Bookfest Information Booth and have some great fun.

To increase access to books, the Friends of the Library hosts the extremely popular Gently Used Book Sale at the Bookfest venue. Buy a book for a dime, quarter, or a buck. Run by volunteers, all proceeds support Friends of the Library.

All of the day’s activities, including author presentations, workshops, parade, and performances, will be provided free of charge. The Great Valley Bookfest is an event for all ages. See more information on the Great Valley Bookfest website at greatvalleybookfest.org.