Literary and music enthusiasts will participate in the West Texas Book and Music Festival on Sept. 19-24. The event will raise money to support the Abilene Public Library.
The festival events will include concerts by national and local artists, sessions with authors and book signings. Major events include the Texas Cookbook Gala and a concert by Guy Clark. The locations for events include the Abilene Public Library, Abilene Civic Center, Minter Park, Abilene Country Club, the Paramount Theatre and local schools.
The festival was first conducted in 2001, originally under the name the West Texas Book and Author Festival. That changed when musical events were added in 2006 .
Glenn Dromgoole, festival co-chairman, has been working at the festival since it began. Dromgoole estimated around 2,000 people will participate in festival events this year. He said he expects approximately 250 people to take part in the Texas Cookbook Gala on Thursday night.
The concerts in Minter Park will also draw crowds. Dromgoole said he expects between 500 and 600 people at the Guy Clark concert on Friday.
Students in local middle schools will also have the opportunity to participate in the festival.
“Every seventh grade student studying Texas History will hear one of our speakers, Mike Kearby, on Friday,” Dromgoole said.
Kearby, a local author, will visit schools in Abilene and Wylie along with photographer Wyman Meinzer. Meinzer is a winner of the A.C. Green award, which is presented annually to a distinguished Texas author for a lifetime achievement.
The artwork of students from Abilene’s universities will be displayed at the Abilene Civic Center in the Texas Hall of Authors throughout the festival. Nil Santana, instructor of graphic design and photography, said five ACU students were invited to have their photographs featured. The students will also have the opportunity to attend a luncheon where Wyman Meinzer will be speaking. Santana told his students he is proud of their work and happy for them to represent ACU.
Preparations began months before the festival was scheduled to take place.
“Linda Powell and I started meeting back early in the year in January,” Dromgoole said.
Dromgoole and Powell, festival co-chairman, met with nearly 25 others late in the spring and completed most of the planning by May. Final preparations were completed over the summer.
Dromgoole said that there are multiple goals and purposes for the festival.
“One is to raise money for the Abilene Public Library, but also I think it’s the exposure to the library,” Dromgoole said.
Dromgoole said proceeds from the festival will be used to fund programs at the library throughout the year. Another general goal is to promote literacy.
The festival is sponsored by Friends of the Abilene Public Library and the Abilene Reporter-News.
