Readers, Authors Meeting Each Other

Free book festival returns to Grand Haven

It’s one for the books.

Or, more accurately, another one. The Third Coast Author & Book Fest – the second annual – will kick off at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 21, in downtown Grand Haven. The 11 a.m.-5 p.m. “Meet, Greet, and Book Signing” invites visitors to stop in more than 40 local businesses where authors will be available to sell and sign their books. Admission is free.

Some businesses will host a single author, others a handful. They’ll be along the Washington Avenue corridor with multiple authors in the public library, historical museum, and Central Park Place as well as at individual businesses.

By early January, more than 175 authors had already registered to be in attendance. Between 250 and 350 are expected. More than 20,000 visitors are anticipated.

The festival is the brainchild of Mike O’Brien, owner of The Book Cellar in Grand Haven. He worked with Grand Haven Main Street DDA to sponsor the inaugural festival last year. The meet-and-greet was so popular that it will return this year, for an additional hour.

The plan, said O’Brien, is to make Grand Haven a literary hub that focuses on not only books but also their authors and their readers.

“It’s a way to express the joy of reading,” he said. “It’s all about bringing the community together. It’s all about having fun. The authors absolutely love the fact that they can visit with their readers.”

Last year several authors sold out of the books they’d brought.

Authors will be from not only Michigan but also from throughout the United States and a few foreign countries.

Some authors will talk about their craft in panel discussions throughout the day.

At 5 p.m. a rock concert by Jennifer Wildwood and the Handsome Devils will close out the festival in the auditorium of Central Park Place on Columbus Avenue. Donations for a local non-profit will be collected at the concert.

In addition, festival merchandise will be for sale throughout the day.