For the ninth year Covington will set aside a time to promote and celebrate reading and the written word, with the annual Literacy Festival on the square.

The festival is scheduled for Saturday from 10:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. and is free and open to the public. There will be booths offering a huge variety of things for children to do, such as arts and crafts, games, sidewalk chalk art and the book walk. Adults are also included in the festival, and there will be booths where parents can learn more about services offered by each organization there.

A stage will offer entertainment throughout the event, including local children's performer BB Fuzz at 1 p.m. Local authors Erik Oliver, Cindy Reynolds and Joyce Fincher will be there to sign copies of their books, which are available from local square shops.
In celebration of International Literacy Day (Sept. 8) children are invited to wear their character costumes to the festival.

During the festival there will also be a drawing for a Kindle book reader. The drawing is sponsored by Main Street Covington and is new to the festival. To enter the drawing participants at the festival must show a receipt from a purchase at square merchant from Sept. 7 or 8. The drawing will be held at the end of the event.

The popular sidewalk chalk art competition is open to students in first grade and older. There is no cost to participate and a registration form can be picked up from each Newton County school's art teacher. Participants can also register the day of the event starting at 9:30 a.m. There is no cost and the drawing will begin at 10 a.m. and end at 1 p.m. for the judging. The first 50 participants will receive a 12-pack of art chalk. The theme for this year is "Illustrating Peace" in recognition of the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

There is no charge for businesses who would like to set up a literacy-based activity booth. Contact Mollie Melvin, Executive Director of The Learning Center at (404) 314-2615 or info@leapintobooks.org for more information.