Thursday, September 4, 2014

2014 AJC Decatur Book Festival draws a record 90,000 people to downtown Decatur over Labor Day weekend!



For Immediate Release:



2014 AJC Decatur Book Festival draws a record 90,000 people
to downtown Decatur over Labor Day weekend

September 4, 2014 (Atlanta) — An estimated 90,000 book lovers poured into downtown Decatur over Labor Day weekend for the 2014 AJC Decatur Book Festival Presented by DeKalb Medical (AJC DBF), the ninth installment of the largest independent book festival in the country.

More than 600 authors packed 19 different stages, families enjoyed two children’s parades, and festivalgoers were treated to yet another fantastic art|DBF arts and culture showcase. The festival kicked off on Friday night with a sold-out Keynote Address by famed literary icon Joyce Carol Oates.

AJC DBF Programming Director, Philip Rafshoon, was thrilled with the outcome of this year’s festival.

“It was another record-setting year for the Decatur Book Festival, and our hundreds of events went off without a hitch,” said Rafshoon. “From our Keynote and Kidnote addresses on Friday, until the last book was signed on Sunday night, we had larger crowds than ever before and a solid, quality lineup across the entire literary spectrum.”

AJC DBF Executive Director and co-founder, Daren Wang, said he continues to be amazed by the growing success of the festival each year.

“Every year the AJC DBF tries to outdo and redefine itself. This year our author lineup was phenomenal and we brought in new types of programming with art|DBF, the Decatur Makers Tent, and our outdoor cooking stage,” said Wang. “The audiences were larger, more diverse, and even more engaged. It was easily the best DBF so far, but you ain't seen nothing yet.”

The Atlanta Journal–Constitution Decatur Book Festival presented by DeKalb Medical (AJC DBF) is the largest independent book festival in the country, and the fourth largest overall. Over Labor Day weekend (Aug. 29-31), tens of thousands from metro Atlanta and beyond will share the historic downtown Decatur Square with world–class authors, illustrators, editors, publishers, and booksellers for a weekend filled with literature, music, food, and fun. For more information, visit www.DecaturBookFestival.com, “like” Decatur Book Festival on Facebook, or follow @DBookFestival on Twitter.