The fourth annual Interactive Children’s Festival brought excitement and engagement to downtown Warren, Pennsylvania, attracting hundreds of families eager to celebrate learning through fun. Hosted by Free Books for Kids Town, the nonprofit focused on promoting literacy for young students, the festival featured over 20 organizations offering hands-on activities that sparked creativity and curiosity. From science experiments to art projects, kids had a blast exploring all that the festival had to offer.

An unexpected highlight came from a traveling museum showcasing artifacts from the Vietnam and World War II eras, bridging the gap between education and history in an interactive way. Jeffrey Kalkbrenner, founder of the museum, expressed joy in witnessing the children’s eyes light up as they connected with the past. It’s clear that this event not only aimed to make learning enjoyable, but also ensured that every child walked away with something special—a book of their own!

The festival underscored an important message: promoting literacy is a community effort. With donations raised during the event helping to ensure that every child in kindergarten through eighth grade can choose and own a book, it's a win-win for growth and learning. Hopefully, next year’s festival will offer even more to ignite imaginations and foster a love for reading!