Registration for the annual Children’s Arts and Literacy Festival is now open. 

The CALF has become a huge event in Abilene ever since it began in 2012. Art lovers from all over travel to Abilene to partake in this festival. 

The theme for the CALF this year is dedicated to author and artist, Loren Long.

Sidney Levesque, director of marketing at Abilene Cultural Affairs Council, said that Long will be attending the festival.

“The National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature chooses which artist they exhibit,” Levesque said. “Loren will be here for the festival celebration, to talk about his career and sign books.”

According to the Abilene CAC, the CALF highlights the importance of family, art, literacy and the talented artists in the community. 

With anything from a costume contest to a storybook parade, families are sure to find something that will catch their interest. 

Kathy Taylor, CALF director, said that she has been involved in this event from the very beginning. 

“The first year we only had like seven venues to go to, now we have venues all over town,” Taylor said. “As far as the growth, we now have about 5,200 registrants.”

With so many people traveling in to participate in this June event, Taylor said she believes that it has done wonders for the city of Abilene. 

“We always talk about how our downtown is growing and thriving, and I think this is a huge part of that,” Taylor said. 

While the CALF is seemingly targeted to children and young families, there are definitely ways in which ACU students can get involved. 

“We have a lot of colleges that like to volunteer,” Taylor said. “Last year we had 500 volunteers.”

To find out more about the CALF, visit abilenecalf.com. If interested in volunteering, you can contact them at info@abilenecac.org.