
Grand Park becomes a literary paradise March 28. PHOTO BY JAVIER GUILLEN
Grand Park (200 N. Grand Ave., L.A.; www.grandparkla.org) welcomes literature lovers to its third annual Downtown Bookfest, noon-5 p.m. March 28. One of the festival’s unique features is its focus on Southern California authors and publishers. A pop-up bookstore, for example, will stock with work from more than 30 L.A.-based presses, putting it high on the list of most people’s Los Angeles things to do.
The Bookfest’s readings and activities will be centered around this year’s theme, “Cite Your Sources.” The multicultural event will explore the idea of our origins, identity and self-expression by featuring authors from a variety of ethnic backgrounds and works in various languages. The Bookfest family pavilion will be populated with storytellers, bookmaking workshops and a book swap. Visitors are invited to bring books to donate to the Grand Park’s Little Libraries, where they can also take books for free!
New to this year’s Bookfest is a partnership with The Music Center’s Artizen Lab (www.musiccenter.org/artizenlab), an online platform that lets visitors share their creative ideas. Artizen Day, the culminating event of Artizen Lab that will take place at Bookfest, will bring to life ideas submitted by “artizens,” and include a number of art-based projects.