WRITE OUT LOUD presents 8th Annual TWAINFEST, 8/19

WRITE OUT LOUD, an organization founded in 2007 with a commitment to inspire, challenge and entertain by reading literature aloud for a live audience - announces the 8th Annual TwainFest to take place on Saturday, August 19th from 11am - 5pm in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, San Diego. New this year, TwainFest expands into the evening with Twain After Dark, a ticketed event for adults at the Cosmopolitan Hotel which starts at 6:00pm. TwainFest is produced by Write Out Loud and sponsored by Fiesta de Reyes in association with Old Town San Diego State Historic Park.

TwainFest, now a tradition for many San Diego families, is an all day FREE festival celebrating Mark Twain and the literature and culture of 19th Century America. There is something for everyone at this festive old-fashioned gathering at the park. Presentations occur at a variety of park venues throughout the day.

Returning Festival Favorites:

• Local San Diego performers present 19th Century stories and poems by Mark Twain, Robert Louis Stevenson, Walt Whitman, Eugene Field, Cervantes and many more at venues throughout the park.

• Cygnet Theatre's Storytelling on the Green presents abridged Shakespeare designed for all ages.

• Giant puppets of Mark Twain, Emily Dickinson, Paul Laurence Dunbar and Edgar Allan Poe will wander the green.

• An arcade of unique literary games and activities designed especially for TwainFest will entertain players of all ages on the green. The Election of 1872, Jim Hawkins Treasure Hunt, Wheel of Fiction and Telegraph Crunch are just a few activities that join sack races, ring toss and other games of the period to assure a fun-filled yet educational day for all ages.

• The Authors Salon provides the opportunity to meet Mark Twain, Edgar Allen Poe, Emily Dickinson and other beloved writers of the period.

• The Armory Band recreates the only band that played for both Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis, providing patriot music of the time played on vintage instruments.

• Civil War Field Encampment, complete with General Grant, provides classes for all ages in fife and drum and artillery.

• For those who want to dress up in period attire there's a 19th Century Literary Costume Contest.

• A backdrop of 19th Century music enlivens the day's activities.

• Free books are provided to all who participate in 5 or more activities.

New To TwainFest for 2017:

Twain After Dark - a new ticketed event starting at 6pm at the Cosmopolitan Hotel. Audience will move from room to room for:

• Literary Seance is conducted by medium Madame Caprella who will conjure literary figures from the 19th Century

• Literary Bordello - Madama Rosalina and her 'girls' will entice you with 'spicey' literature of the day

• Literary Tarot Readings - Have your fortune told as it relates to literature

In addition to TwainFest, Write Out Loud - led by Artistic Director, Veronica Murphy and Executive Director, Walter Ritter - provides the community five other core programs serving over 18,500 people annually. Additional programs include a six show season of Story Concerts presented at Old Town Theatre, Stories for Seniors, StoryBox Theatre for elementary students, Read Imagine Create for teens and Poetry Out Loud for high school students. More information at www.writeoutloudsd.com.