Culture, Creation, and Celebration

Posted on October 28, 2021 by Annaclaire Crumpton in Holiday, Library Blog, Library Programs, Local Happenings

Día de Muertos: Its History, Origin and Art

Cartonería for Día de Muertos

Death is trapped in an eternal dance with Life. The dance is defined by its time on center stage and its uncertainty; this dance is not a timed waltz but a random collection of steps, spins, dips, and twirls.

Sometimes the two dance for less than a day, other times they move across the dance floor for over a century. We never know when the dance will end – counting our precious days on Earth.

The annual Mexican and Latin American celebration of Día de Muertos recognizes this dance each year when family and community members gather to celebrate the life of deceased loved ones. Día de Muertos is celebrated internationally and millions of people gather to honor and celebrate the lives of their deceased loved ones. The holiday takes place November 1 and 2 each year.

The origins of the celebration are traced to Mesoamerican groups, such as the Aztecs and Mexica who previously held celebrations of their deceased loved ones in the summertime; following Spanish colonization, the timing of the celebration shifted to later in the year to correlate with “All Saint’s Eve.”

Today, Día de Muertos is a combination of Aztec and Judeo-Christian influence. This combination or “syncretism” exists because of the desire of the Indigenous people to preserve their important long-held practices in the face of undue transformation under colonization.

The Northern Colorado community, organizations, and Poudre Libraries have celebrated Día de Muertos for over a decade. Each annual celebration is planned with a concerted effort to organize an inclusive and authentic cultural celebration.

Celebrating Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month with a Paper Mâché Master

As part of Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month (October) leading up to Día de Muertos, the Library District also creates programming centered around Hispanic and Latinx culture. Programs are open to any community member.

That’s how I found myself firing up my Zoom App every Tuesday for the last five weeks, tuning into a creative cultural class by Poudre Libraries. Mexican artist Ana Patricia López Moreno Zoomed in from Puebla, Mexico where she runs an art school. She led a class of about 14 community members in making Mexican cartonería skulls, a type of Mexican art technique utilizing paper mâché.

This particular program (organized by the Community Outreach team) gave community members the opportunity to either engage in an art project intertwined with their own culture or, offered the chance for participants to learn more about Hispanic and Latinx culture through art and exposure. Moreno explained the instructions in Spanish while the translator seamlessly and simultaneously provided translation in English.

For this class, we used newspaper and traditional glue – a paste with impressive longevity (5+ weeks) made out of flour, water, sugar, and vinegar. Other items included tape, balloons (to shape the head), cereal boxes (to shape the body), and paints to decorate the final product.

I consider myself artistic, bound by the creative fostering of a mother who’s an elementary school teacher, though by no means am I a paper mâché expert. This became abundantly clear as Moreno led participants through step-by-step instructions to create a cartonería skull and accompanying body.

Moreno had us frantically tearing paper, dipping our fingers in glue, and keeping up with her in a way that somehow by the end of Session #2, we went from a balloon covered in ripped pieces of paper to a sphere that resembled a human skull.

The Final Product #1
My partner’s final cartonería #1
Another participant with her final cartonería!
An awesome outcome for another participant!
My partner’s final cartonería #2
The Final Product #2
Class #1
Class #2
Class #3
Class #4

By the end of Session #5, the conclusion of the workshop, we amicably called our teacher Patty and felt we had mastered the art of tearing the Denver Post Sports section into appropriately sized pieces.

Most importantly, we had produced two beautiful and radically different pieces representative of our own personal color palettes and artistic inclinations: mine was brightly colored with traditional decoration, my partner’s kept to a dark color scheme with a Colorado Avalanche Hockey Team tribute.

Community Connection

Throughout the workshop, Patty educated us on the craft of cartonería, its history, and its vital role in Mexican art and Día de Muertos. Cartonería is not limited to the creation of skulls for Día de Muertos but covers any object, animal, or extravagant display created in the medium.

In anticipation of Día de Muertos across Mexico, artists, creatives and other community members focus their energy on creating cartonería sculptures for altars. Individual Día de Muertos altars honor loved ones through complex displays compromised of items that carry deep meaning and symbolism.

As members of the Northern Colorado community, engaged in learning more about Hispanic and Latinx culture, we are incredibly grateful to have taken part in an educational program that enlightened us on elements of culture and an important celebration that has taken place for hundreds of years.

We are grateful for the willingness of others to share an art-form that is historically woven into Mexican culture and the celebration of Día de Muertos.

We are most grateful to community members, artists like Patricia Moreno, and programs at the Library that open doors to cultural education and foster community interconnectedness.

The Library’s Día de Muertos celebration will take place at the Gardens on Spring Creek on Saturday, November 6, 2021, from 3 – 5 PM. Learn more about Día de Muertos and the community celebrations at the Día De Muertos website.

Cultura, creación y celebración

Día de Muertos: historia, origen y arte

Cartonería for Día de Muertos

La muerte se encuentra atrapada en un baile eterno con la vida. Este baile se caracteriza por su protagonismo en el centro del escenario y su incertidumbre. Este baile no es un vals si no una colección de pasos, vueltas y giros al azar.

A veces bailan durante menos de un día y otras veces se mueven por la pista de baile durante más de un siglo. Y nunca sabemos cuándo terminará el baile, siempre contando nuestros días en la Tierra.

La celebración anual del Día de Muertos en México y Latinoamérica reconoce este baile y reúne a familias y miembros de la comunidad para celebrar la vida de nuestros seres amados que fallecieron. El Día de Muertos es una celebración internacional y millones de personas se reúnen para honrar y celebrar a aquellos que ya no están. Esta celebración ocurre el 1° y 2 de noviembre de cada año.

El origen de esta celebración se remonta a grupos mesoamericanos como los Aztecas y Mexicas que ya eran conocidos por celebrar a sus fallecidos en el verano. Con la colonización española esta celebración se retrasó hasta noviembre para hacerla coincidir con el Día de Todos los Santos.

Actualmente, el Día de Muertos es una combinación de influencias Aztecas y judeo-cristianas. Esta combinación o sincretismo existe por el deseo de los pueblos indígenas de preservar sus prácticas y tradiciones frente a la transformación forzada que llegó con la colonización.

La comunidad del norte de Colorado, diferentes organizaciones y las Bibliotecas Poudre han celebrado el Día de Muertos por más de una década. Cada año esta celebración cultural es intencionalmente planeada para ser inclusiva y auténtica.

Celebramos el mes de la herencia hispana y latina con una maestra de la cartonería mexicana

Como parte del mes de la herencia hispana y latina (15 septiembre – 15 octubre) y encaminándonos al Día de Muertos, la biblioteca crea programas centrados en la cultura hispana y latina donde todos los miembros de la comunidad son bienvenidos.

Así fue como terminé entrando a Zoom todos los martes de las últimas cinco semanas y asistiendo a una clase cultural y creativa ofrecida por las Bibliotecas Poudre. La artista mexicana Ana Patricia López Moreno facilitó este taller desde la ciudad de Puebla donde dirige una escuela de arte. Patricia guio a un grupo de aproximadamente 14 personas para hacer catrinas mediante la técnica de cartonería mexicana.

Para unos, este taller organizado por el Departamento de Servicios y Programas Comunitarios fue una oportunidad de participar en un proyecto artístico conectado con su cultura, para otros, fue una oportunidad para aprender acerca de la cultura hispana y latina a través del arte. Las instrucciones se daban en español y, al mismo tiempo, la intérprete las daba en inglés.

Utilizamos periódico y engrudo (pegamento hecho con harina, agua, azúcar y vinagre) así como cinta adhesiva, globos, cajas de cereal y diferentes pinturas para decorar la pieza final.

Me considero una persona artística, gracias a tener una mamá creativa que es maestra de educación primaria, pero definitivamente no soy una experta en la técnica de cartonería. Gracias a Patricia quien nos guio paso a paso, la técnica fue lo suficientemente fácil de entender para crear y decorar esta catrina.

Nuestra instructora nos tenía rasgando periódico sin cesar y “manchándonos” con engrudo para no perder el ritmo, de tal forma que al final de la segunda sesión, habíamos pasado de tener un globo cubierto de papel a algo que ya iba tomando forma de calavera.

Al final de la quinta y última sesión del taller ya nos conocíamos y nos llamábamos por nuestros nombres de pila y, gracias a Paty, éramos expertos en al arte de rasgar la sección de deportes del Denver Post en trozos de tamaño adecuado.

El producto final #1
La cartonería final de mi pareja #1
¡Otra participante con su increíble producto final!
¡Otro cartonería increíble de un participante de la clase!
El producto final #2
La cartonería final de mi pareja #2
Clase #1
Clase #2
Clase #3
Clase #4

Pero lo más interesante es que mi pareja y yo habíamos creado dos hermosas y totalmente distintas piezas de arte, cada una representando a su creador y sus inclinaciones artísticas: la mía tenía colores vivos y decoraciones más tradicionales mientras que la de mi pareja era más oscura y con unas tonalidades que rendían tributo al equipo de hockey Colorado Avalanche.

Conexión con la comunidad

Paty nos educó durante todo el taller en la técnica de cartonería, su historia y el importante rol que desempeña en el arte mexicano y el Día de Muertos. La cartonería no se limita a la creación de catrinas, también se utiliza para realizar otros objetos y animales.

En preparación para el Día de Muertos, artistas, creadores y miembros de la comunidad centran su energía en crear esculturas de cartonería para sus altares. Estos altares honran a nuestros seres queridos con objetos que tienen profundo significado y simbolismo.

Como miembros de la comunidad del norte de Colorado, nos sentimos muy agradecidos de haber participado en un programa educativo que nos abrió las puertas a esta cultura y a una celebración tan importante que data a cientos de años.

También estamos agradecidos por la disposición con la que se comparte este tipo arte tan importante en la cultura mexicana y en la celebración del Día de Muertos.

Y sobre todo agradecemos a los miembros de la comunidad, artistas como Patricia Moreno y programas de la biblioteca que abren puertas a la educación cultural y fomentan la conexión entre culturas.

La celebración comunitaria del Día de Muertos tendrá lugar en los Jardines en Spring Creek el sábado 6 de noviembre de 2021 de 3:00 a 5:00 PM. Para aprender más sobre el Día de Muertos y la celebración comunitaria visite el sitio web del Día de Muertos.

Spooky Season in Fort Collins

Posted on October 21, 2021 by Annaclaire Crumpton in Library Blog

Exploring Local Lore | October 2021

Spooky season is upon us. With Halloween just around the corner, the Library is glad to offer you some spooky (or not so spooky) lore leading up to the special holiday.

Fort Collins is home to rich history that stretches over two centuries of settlement and expansion. Old Town Library sits at the edge of Downtown Fort Collins which is filled with its own unique brand of historical spookiness.

In fact, in 2019, Yelp.com (the highly qualified ghost experts?) named Fort Collins the 3^rd most haunted city in America right behind Savannah, Georgia and New Orleans, Louisiana. Much of the local lore we are about to explore is sourced from the book Ghosts of Fort Collins: Haunted America by Lauri Juzak available for download via Hoopla with your Library Card.

Beneath Walrus Ice Cream, a local favorite, sits a haunted cement tunnel leading to a large room. The ice cream shop is rumored to have previously been a ladies hat shop neighbored by a morgue. The morgue was said to have used the large bunker as a bay for receiving human remains to later be transported to the cemetery.

The underground area, which is strictly ice cream free, has been known to resonate a chilling energy. Besides the spooky underground bunker, employees claim the resident ghost known as the “Walrus Man” has been known to pull ponytails and knock over cabinets.

If you would rather focus on ice cream than ghosts (most of us would) then check out this Halloween themed baking book called Spooky Food by Cayla Gallagher in Poudre Library’s catalog.

Another interesting fact well known to many Fort Collins locals is the story behind Old Firehouse Books and the adjoining Happy Lucky’s Teahouse. The bookshop is named appropriately for its location, as it occupies the city’s former fire station. Just next door, in the very same building, the charming back corner of Happy Lucky’s Teahouse occupies the old Fort Collins jail.

With bars still adorning the windows and the jail’s door now leaned up against a wall, the teahouse has swapped criminal consequences for studying over steamy tea. Beneath Happy Lucky’s is a cement solitary confinement cell which is not well suited for studying and remains closed to the public.

Rather than ponder the shadowy individuals previously held in the old Fort Collins jail on a snowy Halloween of the past, join an upcoming virtual session at Fort Collins Book Fest this weekend where you can “Sip on Something Steamy” A session designed for romance lovers, stop by Old Firehouse Books (a sponsor of Fort Collins Book Fest) to pick up complimentary tea from Happy Lucky’s to enjoy during the session (while supplies last). October isn’t only for scares though it may still be worthwhile to peek into the old jail while picking up tea for Book Fest!

*Old Firehouse Books and Happy Lucky’s Teahouse in Downtown Fort Collins*

Other fabled Old Town ghosts include a haunting of the Avery building on Old Town Square by a man who was apparently poisoned by his wife, a harmless ghost of a former violin player at the Opera Galleria who struts along Trimble Court Alley, and a haunted butcher’s block at Choice City Butcher and Deli.

For Library District specific scares, perhaps take a walk by our administration house on the corner of Olive and Peterson Street right across from Old Town Library. Though the harmless looking building that houses administrative staff is not open to the public, it’s well known among Library employees that the Webster Administration House was formerly a funeral home.

The Webster House is accessibly filled with wide ramps for getting around and formerly for getting gurneys around. There is also a locked room in the basement rumored to be the former embalming room. New employees working in the Administration House are made painfully aware of the Center’s spooky history and told not to stay too long after 5:00 PM.

*The Webster House Administration Center of Poudre River Public Library District*

On a heavier note, there are also infamous and rather dark Fort Collins ghost stories connected to Colorado State University’s campus. Reminiscent of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the University’s Statistics building on the Oval was previously made into an overflow hospital during the 1918 and 1919 Spanish Flu epidemic in Fort Collins.

Many citizens of Fort Collins fell victim to the Spanish Flu and the historical parallel reminds us to stay safe this Halloween. Learn lessons from the pandemic of the past with the books, Pale Rider by Laura Spinney, America’s Forgotten Pandemic: The Spanish Flu by Alfred W. Crosby, or for younger virologists, Spanish Flu by Kenny Abdo. All are available in the Library’s catalogue.

If this blog post has you in the mood to explore more about Fort Collins history, check out these titles from the Library’s collection: Fort Collins: A History by Barbara Fleming, Fort Collins: Then and Now by Barbara Fleming and Malcolm McNeill or Fort Collins at 150: A Sesquicentennial History by Wayne C. Sundberg.

The Library District co-sponsors the Fort Collins History Connection with the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery which houses a plethora of historical information about the Northern Colorado area and its rumored hauntings.

Stay safe this Halloween and don’t forget to avoid any underground bunkers, old solitary confinement cells, or embalmment rooms. You can also count on the Library to be a safe place though perhaps not our Administration House!

Your Next Favorite Author

Posted on October 14, 2021 by Katie Auman in Book Recommendations, Library Blog, Local Happenings

Coming soon to Fort Collins Book Fest

This month sees the return of the annual Fort Collins Book Fest, from October 22-24. The 2021 theme, Up, Up, & Out, speaks to our collective desire to get up from our couches, meet up with family and friends (and soon-to-be friends), and get back out into the world. The free event is a mix of in-person and live streamed sessions with more than 40 local, national, and international authors.

To help you get energized for what you’ll experience at the Book Fest, check out some of the featured authors’ books and poetry collections from the Poudre Libraries. And, visit the Fort Collins Book Fest website to view the entire author lineup and browse the schedule of book talks, writing workshops, readings, family activities, and more!

Alex Elle

After the Rain: Affirmations, Meditations, and Lessons from Life

Celebrated self-care storyteller Alexandra Elle delivers 15 lessons on how to overcome obstacles, build confidence, and cultivate abundance. Part memoir and part guide, Elle shares stirring stories from her own remarkable journey from self-doubt to self-love. This soulful collection is filled with illuminating reflections on loss, fear, bravery, healing, love, acceptance, and more.

Dara Saville

The Ecology of Herbal Medicine: A Guide to Plants and Living Landscapes of the American Southwest

Saville introduces botanical medicine through an in-depth exploration of the land, presenting a unique guide to plants found across the American Southwest. An accomplished herbalist and geographer, Dara Saville offers readers an ecological manual for developing relationships with the land and plants in a new theoretical approach to using herbal medicines.

Andrés Salguero of 123 Andrés

Hello, Friend = Hola, Amigo

This fun, bouncy bilingual song from 123 Andrés’ Grammy Award-winning album is brought to life in a whole new way that’s perfect for storytime sharing!

¡Esta canción divertida y vivaz de 123 Andrés, incluida en su album ganador de un Grammy, cobra vida de un modo totalmente nuevo, perfecto para la hora del cuento!

Samantha Silva

Love and Fury: A Novel of Mary Wollstonecraft

In radiant prose, Silva delivers an ode to the dazzling life of Mary Wollstonecraft, one of the world’s most influential thinkers and mother of the famous novelist Mary Shelley. But at its heart, Love and Fury is a story about the power of a woman reclaiming her own narrative to pass on to her daughter, and all daughters, for generations to come.

Stephen Graham Jones

My Heart is a Chainsaw

Jade Daniels is an angry, half-Indian outcast with an abusive father, an absent mother, and an entire town that wants nothing to do with her. She lives in her own world, a world in which protection comes from an unusual source: horror movies, especially the ones where a masked killer seeks revenge on a world that wronged them. But when blood actually starts to spill into the waters of Indian Lake, she pulls us into her dizzying, encyclopedic mind of blood and masked murderers, and predicts exactly how the plot will unfold.

James Bridle

New Dark Age: Technology, Knowledge and the End of the Future

Bridle, a technologist, journalist and visual artist, describes how the modern idea of enlightenment through technology and massive amounts of on-demand quantitative data may actually force us into a dark age of uncertainty and incomprehension. In New Dark Age, Bridle surveys the history of art, technology, and information systems, and reveals the dark clouds that gather over our dreams of the digital sublime.

Jim Davidson

The Next Everest: Surviving the Mountain’s Deadliest Day and Finding the Resilience to Climb Again

The Next Everest portrays the experience of living through the biggest disaster to ever hit the mountain. Davidson’s background in geology and environmental science makes him uniquely qualified to explain how this natural disaster unfolded and why the seismic threats lurking beneath Nepal are even greater today. But this story is not about “conquering” the world’s highest peak. Instead, it reveals how embracing change, challenge, and uncertainty prepares anyone to face their “next Everest” in life.

Kyce Bello

Refugia

Bello’s stunning debut ponders what it means to inhabit a particular place at a time of enormous disruption, witnessing a beloved landscape as it gives way to, as Bello writes, something other and unknown, growing beyond us. These vivid poems touch upon history, inheritance, drought, and most of all, trees, be they Western conifers succumbing to warming temperatures, ramshackle orchards along the Rio Grande, or family trees reaching simultaneously into the past and future.

Kali Fajardo-Anstine

Sabrina & Corina: Stories

Fajardo-Anstine’s magnetic story collection breathes life into her Latina characters of indigenous ancestry and the land they inhabit in the American West. Against the remarkable backdrop of Denver, Colorado—a place that is as fierce as it is exquisite—these women navigate the land the way they navigate their lives: with caution, grace, and quiet force.

Claire Boyles

Site Fidelity: Stories

A knock-out debut story collection that follows women and families facing economic and environmental justice issues in the American West. Firmly rooted in the rural spaces and small towns of Colorado and Nevada, Site Fidelity spans the decades from the 1970s to a plausible near future.

Anne Waldman

Trickster Feminism

Celebrated poet Anne Waldman looks to the imagination of mercurial possibility, to the spirits of the doorway and of crossroads, and to language that jolts the status quo of how one troubles gender and outwits patriarchy. She summons Tarot’s Force Arcana, the passion of the suffragettes, and various messengers and heroines of historical, hermetic, and heretical stance, creating an intersectionality of lived experience: class, sexuality, race, politics all enter the din. These are experiments of survival.

Start Your Next Chapter

Posted on October 7, 2021 by Katie Auman in Business, Job and Career, Library Blog, Library Services

Rich Resources, Enticing Events and our Next Chapter at the Library

After more than a year of living in the shadow of COVID-19, are you ready for a new start? The past 18 months have offered a chance to re-evaluate our lives and identify new opportunities for positive change and personal development. Now let’s make the most of it: this is your next chapter!

Perhaps you’re looking for a career change? Maybe you want to launch your own business? How about finally pursuing that new hobby you’ve been thinking about? Or maybe you just want to slow down and relax after such a hectic year. Any way you’re reading the next chapter, the library has you covered.

Education

Literacy and learning are the hallmarks of libraries, from supporting school readiness to research skill-building, and continuing education to online certification courses.

After months of having to navigate virtual instruction and in-person learning, students, teachers, and families are ready for a new chapter in learning. Students can find support and homework help at the library. Online tools like BrainFuse Homework HelpNow provide live tutors, test prep, and writing labs, while more than a dozen digital databases and learning platforms provide research tools and flexible subject-matter instruction.

Find more tools for the school year at the Library website’s children’s page.

Employment

Are you one of the millions of workers currently looking to switch jobs?

Not only do we have a Job and Career Librarian who can meet with you one-on-one, but the library offers tools, programs, and resources to help you research job industries, refresh your resume, and find the right career fit. Online learning platforms like LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com) provide skills certifications and professional development opportunities. Other useful digital tools include JobNow, LearningExpress, and CareerOneStop.

Whether you’re feeling stalled in your career or you’re reconsidering what you value most in a job, the library can support you in your new career path. Visit our online Job and Career Center to get started at the Library Job and Career page.

Entrepreneurship

Does your next chapter include striking out on your own and starting a business? Or maybe you’re ready to expand your current business? Perhaps the trajectory of your business was deeply impacted by the beginning of the pandemic and you’re seeking resources?

Either way, our Business Librarian is available to assist you with market research, competitive analysis, and business planning. Save time and money by using the library’s premium business tools like DemographicsNow and Statista for market data and consumer reports.

Find local resources that help build and support small businesses. Network new business pathways with other likeminded entrepreneurs or learn about the most up-to-date market tips and tricks.

Visit our online Business Center to get started or to request a one-on-one consultation with our librarians.

Engagement

The library provides you with more than just books! It’s a space for meeting and socializing with others in the community, diving into personal interests and hobbies, discovering new technologies, and enjoying entertainment.

Does your next chapter in life include trying your hand at painting? How about learning to bake? What about building a new lifestyle routine that includes meditation or Qigong? Find your inspiration at the library.

For many of us, the goal is to find good entertainment without spending extra money on subscriptions to Netflix or Audible. The library has your back for on-demand, streaming movies, television shows, music, eBooks and audiobooks. We recommend library apps like Kanopy, hoopla, and OverDrive / Libby to get started.

Also check out our Binge Boxes for movie and TV collections based on your favorites series, genres, actors, and themes. Find access to these resources on our Download page!

Exploring

Feeling cooped up after the last year and half? Perhaps your wanderlust is rumbling but still limited by the ongoing pandemic? Whether you wish to explore from the comfort of your own couch or take the travel leap, the library has you covered!

Staying home? Satiate your travel bug by flipping through travel magazines from online platform Flipster. Planning a trip abroad? Prepare for your next international adventure with Mango Languages.

Either way, explore the library district’s large collection of travel books which include family travel books, tips for visiting specific destinations, or historical travel tales.

Turn the Page Today!

The ongoing pandemic hasn’t left many individuals untouched. Time in quarantine allowed room to think about the next chapter of our lives and how we will turn the page. No matter what you envision, the library will help you succeed. Visit the library online or in person for resources and services that will turn an opportunity into a reality.

Up, Up + Out

Posted on September 30, 2021 by Katie Auman in Library Blog, Library Services, Local Happenings

Fort Collins Book Fest Features More Than 40 Authors and 25 Sessions

This year’s Fort Collins Book Fest theme, Up, Up, & Out, speaks to our collective desire to get up from our couches, meet up with family and friends (and soon-to-be friends), and get back out into the world.

Join us October 22-24 for the free Fort Collins Book Fest, a family-friendly event that will feature in-person activities and virtual, livestreamed sessions. The full lineup of authors, schedule, and links to required registrations, can be found on the event website, www.FoCoBookFest.org.

The festival will include author talks, writing workshops, kids and teen activities, reading, books signings, panel discussions, and other creative activities. Here are just a few highlights.

Featured Authors

The 2021 headlining author is presented in partnership with Fort Collins Reads. Kali Fajardo-Anstine, author of Sabrina & Corina and a national Book Award finalist, will be at the Lincoln Center on Saturday, October 23 to discuss her work. It is free to attend her session, but a ticket is required for entry to the performance hall through the Lincoln Center Box Office or online at lctix.com. Tickets are currently available via the Lincoln Center box office in person or reached via phone at 970-221-6730.

Fajardo-Anstine will be joined at the Book Fest by other award-winning authors including Stephen Graham Jones (My Heart is a Chainsaw and Memorial Ride), Alexandra Elle (After the Rain), James Bridle (The New Dark Age), Anne Waldman (Trickster Feminism), Jim Davidson (The Next Everest: Surviving the Mountain’s Deadliest Day and Finding the Resilience to Climb Again), and many others.

All sessions are free to attend. Only Fajardo-Anstine’s presentation requires a ticket. Additionally, all sessions occurring Saturday 10/23 at the Lincoln Center will be streamed virtually and will be available via Poudre Library’s Facebook page.

Writing Workshops

This year’s featured writing workshop, Writing to Heal – Reclaiming Your Joy with Alexandra Elle, will be in-person at Wolverine Farm Publick House on Sunday, October 24 starting at Noon. This session does not require registration.

The other popular writing workshops are hosted by Northern Colorado Writers on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday ahead of the festival weekend and focus on historical fiction, poetry, screenplay writing, and mystery writing. These sessions will be virtual and require advance registration in order to receive the Zoom invite and link. Full details and a link to registration is available at www.FoCoBookFest.org.

A Month of Family Friendly Events

Leading up to Book Fest – the 4th weekend of October, the entire month is filled with fun events for the entire family kicking off with a community celebration marking the 10^th anniversary of the Rafael Lopez Community Mural and the library’s IMAGINANTES program. The mural was created by community members and local artists and was a gift of unity and diversity for our City by artist Rafael Lopez and Poudre Libraries. The outdoor celebration takes place on October 1 from 5:00 – 6:30PM in the Civic Center Parking Structure which features the mural. Enjoy music, dance performances, storytelling, and more.

On the second day of Book Fest (Saturday, October 23) Council Tree Library will host a special family program called Sketch, Etch, Illustrate with local professional artist and children’s book illustrator Julie Rowan-Zoch. This is a drop-in program from 11:00 AM – 2:00PM.

Our featured family activity is also on Saturday. Latin Grammy-award winners and children’s authors 123 Andrés will be at the Lincoln Center at 11:30 AM to share their English/Spanish performance. After the singing and dancing, stick around for a book sale and signing and meet the authors.

123 Andrés Event – Fort Collins Book Fest 2021

Teen Track

We’re excited to feature two sessions just for ten readers and writers. First up is a writing workshop with Todd Mitchell on Tuesday, October 19 at Harmony Library. Everyone who attends will receive a copy of Mitchell’s newest book: The Namer of Spirits. Register online at PoudreLibraries.org.

Then on Saturday, October 23 at Council Tree Library, author Juleah del Rosario will discuss her books, 500 Words or Less and Turtle Under Ice. This will be followed by a writing workshop hosted by local author Laura Resau. Both sessions require registration.

And there’s so much more! The full author lineup, schedule of sessions, and links to registrations can be found online at www.FoCoBookFest.org. See you there!

The event is presented by Poudre River Public Library District with support from local organizations and businesses including the City of Fort Collins Fort Fund, Colorado State University Libraries, Colorado Creative Industries, KUNC and the Colorado Sound, Front Range Community College, Old Firehouse Books, Wolverine Farm Publick House, the Lilla B. Morgan Memorial Endowment Fund, and a TourWest Grant.

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