The Louisiana Book Festival is coming back to downtown Baton Rouge on Saturday after a year of away to celebrate Louisiana literature.
Louisiana-based authors and those who have written about the state are converging to participate in the festival, which is located near the State Capitol.
One of Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne’s top goals when he came into office was to ensure the continuation of the Book Festival, said Rebecca Hamilton, state librarian of Louisiana.
Hamilton said the festival was out of commission last year because it lost its funding and was understaffed.
“We were just really overwhelmed,” she said. “People really missed it.”
Because the festival received state funding this year, along with private funds, Hamilton said it was able to obtain federal funds to get back in action.
Sallie Farrell, the former state librarian of Louisiana, recently died and left part of her estate to the Book Festival, Hamilton said.
“Her whole life was the state library,” Hamilton said.
Even though the festival didn’t happen last year, Hamilton said she expects about 30,000 people to attend this year.
She said about 225 authors are participating in the festival, which creates an intimate environment for visitors.
The goal of the festival is to focus on the unique aspects of Louisiana, Hamilton said.
“We have a culture, community and people who are unmatched anywhere,” she said.
Hamilton said visitors from other areas attending the 2009 Book Festival had a $1.6 million economic impact on the Greater Baton Rouge Area, as measured by Christopher Kenny of the University’s Public Policy Research Lab. This impact can be seen in hotel and restaurant profits, for example.
Hamilton said the festival is a public-private partnership with participation from companies like Barnes & Noble. The companies give percentages of their proceeds to the Louisiana Book Festival, which funds the next year’s festival.
“It keeps the engine going,” Hamilton said.
The event is held outside and inside the state library, the state museum and the Capitol. Hamilton said tents line the streets, and sections of Spanish Town Road and Third, North and Fourth streets downtown are blocked off for the event.
She said visitors are allowed to go into rooms in the Capitol that are usually blocked off because of permission from the speakers of the House and Senate.
Hamilton said a surprise finale different from other years will be located at the new A. Z. Young Park.
There will also be new film screenings, additional poetry components and more crafts and music in the Young Readers Pavilion.
 
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