The Okefenokee Heritage Center (OHC) of Waycross has already set the date for their next “We Love Literacy” book festival.
Based upon feedback from local authors, vendors and festival goers, the second OHC book festival will take place Saturday, March 6, 2027.
With the first festival only a few weeks in the past and Pond is already gearing things up for the next one. The 2027 book festival will take place the same week as Read Across America Day, which is observed on Dr. Seuss’s birthday, March 2, and the plan is for things to be even bigger and better.
Asked about her inspiration for beginning an OHC book festival, Pond says a lot of it is captured in the name, “We Love Literacy”. Pond also said the potential economic impact of a vibrant book festival could help not only the OHC but local business as well.
“Book Festivals are held all throughout the country. Book lovers travel all over to attend a good book festival. Not only are book festivals great fun, but as a festival grows, so does the positive economic impact it has on the local area.,” says event organizer Elizabeth Pond. “At our first festival, we had at least two out of town authors reserve overnight accommodations and visit our local restaurants. Two may not sound like much right now, but we have plans to increase our visibility.”
Diane Brown and Rosa Douglas who greeted each guest as they entered this year’s festival estimate that as many as 300 people visited the festival.
“On behalf of the Okefenokee Heritage Center, we would like to thank the community for their support of the Inaugural OHC We Love Literacy Book Festival,” said OHC Executive Director Carla Cornett. “We would also like to thank the many vendors, authors and volunteers who made the festival happen. It was such a fun day for everyone. We are already preparing for next year, so stay tuned.”
The 2026 festival featured 14 Southern authors, several of them local to Pierce and Ware County. Genres of writing represented by the authors included: memoir, photo journalism, graphic novel, personal empowerment, children’s books, true crime, historical fiction and poetry. Pond hopes to gather even more authors for 2027.
