LitUp Festival: Arts and Innovation for the Next Generation will debut in Knoxville from 1-7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 13. Events are free and most are open to the public.
ORNL’s Traveling Science Fair will anchor the festival with six carnival-style, interactive trailers featuring various fields of research and areas of future job opportunities. The event is geared to ages 13-18 and aims to “ignite creativity, self-expression and critical thinking.”
Featured authors currently confirmed include Janet Beard, Jillian Boehme, Rachel Clift, Dave Connis, Lorryn Holt, Lauren Morrill, Scott Reintgen, Rhonda & Sparky Rucker, Laura Still, Caitlin Summie and Vince Vawter.
The event is sponsored by Knox County Public Library, Knox County Schools, Oak Ridge National Lab, UT’s Center for Children’s and Young Adult Literature, Union Avenue Books and the Friends of the Library.
Students from schools across Knox County have formed a Teen Advisory Board to help develop the programs and activities of the day, ensuring that the festival appeals to their peers. Activities include:
- a book-themed escape room tournament
- a literary scavenger hunt and ghost tours
- street poetry
- music, comedy and theatre on the Market Square stage
- a career match-up session with area business leaders
Info on sites and schedule: www.knoxlib.org/litup.