20th Annual Celebrating Words: Art And Literacy Festival Set For This Month

The longest-running book fair in the San Fernando Valley the 20th annual Celebrating Words: Art and Literacy Festival inspires and amplifies the artistic and educational lives of our youth, moving us towards a deeper understanding of self, culture, and community, through the powerful means of the arts and critical literacy.

With over 1,000 books available, the Celebrating Words festival book giveaway is designed to promote literacy and help community members become active readers and build their personal libraries. We will be giving away brand new books for all ages in English, Spanish, and bilingual formats. Each person can receive one book, and they will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. You can view this year's book selection by accessing our catalog on our website.

The festival will be held on May 31, 2025, from 2-7 pm inside the Global Green Generation campus located at 11200 Herrick Ave, Pacoima CA 91331.

We are excited to introduce Volunteer ASL Interpretation this year. In collaboration with local interpreter programs, we will provide support at both entrances to enhance accessibility. Please note that our volunteer interpreters may not all be professionals; some of them could be students.

The Celebrating Words: Art and Literary Festival creates a dynamic, accessible space that fosters creativity and supports growth and healing through arts and literacy. It's family-friendly and suitable for all ages. This event is presented by Tia Chucha's Centro Cultural, dedicated to transforming communities in the Northeast San Fernando Valley through arts, literacy, and creative engagement. The festival's goal is to provide free, quality, and culturally relevant books to the community.

Celebrating Words will also find book giveaways, art giveaways, community conversations, plant-based food vendors, and live music performances. There will even be a 25-foot rock climbing wall and of course plenty of great food.

This year's musical performances by Flor y Canto feature: Carlos y Charlos, Sancho Villa, Mariachi Juvenil Rey de America, Gr818ers, Sisters of the One Drum, Lil' Reader's and Opening Ceremony by Kalpulli Temachtia.

The Celebrating Words: Art and Literary Festival features all-day outdoor workshops By Area:

Literacy Lane: A Home of My Own, Stamp & Collage Station, Never Enough Bookmarks, Snail Mail Station, Make a Book, Let's Make Comics! Bici Arte and SOWing Greatness.

Ancestral culinary and herbology: CoCo Cocina, Native Seed Ball Making Workshop, Soothe & Bloom: Herbal Salve Making Workshop, and Sabor a Pacoima: Cooking Demo and Marigold Sugar Scrub making.

Mini Resource Fair: Otro Mundo, Indigenous Resistance: From the Jordan River to the Lacandon Jungle, Art Exhibit: Palestina en la Memoria, Art Exhibit: Sierra Arts, Talking With Plantcestors, Indigenous in Real Time, Ajupeme USA -ancient Mesoamerican ballgames, Sonido Perro Negro Cumbia, Rock Climbing Wall, ArTES,

Magnet High School - Ask A Student. Creative Resistance workshops: "We Free Us" Maze, Arte Sana, and Do-It-Yourself Light Up Card!, Phone booth.

Community Resource Fair with local organizations:

CARECEN, Child Care Resource Center, Civfx Distro, El Centro de Amistad, Guide Dogs of America,

Helping Hands Senior Foundation, Hermandad Mexicana Nacional, JM Homecare Solutions, LA Care and Blue Shield Promise Community Resource Center - Panorama City, Los Angeles Poets Society

NAMI San Fernando, North Los Angeles County Resource Center, Penny Lane Centers

Plaza Comunitaria Sinaloa, Somos Familia Valle, The GR818ERS, TreePeople and Valley Community Rollers.

We would like to thank our sponsors for supporting the vision of Celebrating Words: California Arts Council, The Getty, PoderArte, Latino Community Foundation, Vaughn Next Century Learning Center, Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, Take Action LA, California Mental Health Services Authority and Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health.

Los Angeles Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR (Hollywood Bowl)

9.4% of votes

2. ORIGINALS (The Gardenia Club)

8.4% of votes

3. HEATHERS (Backyard Playhouse: Treetop Production)

4.2% of votes

Vote Now!