What better thing to do on a beautiful fall day than participate in a celebration of reading?

The River City Reading Festival will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today at the Lawrence Public Library. Tents will be set up by the library to help accommodate a full schedule of speakers, book signings, children’s activities and musical entertainment. After initiating the festival last year, the Altrusa Club of Lawrence has joined with other groups, including the city and Kansas University libraries, the Lawrence Arts Center and the Lawrence public schools, to make the event an annual tradition.

The River City Reading Festival is a wonderful gift to Lawrence. About 40 authors from across the country will be on hand to sign books, and as an added attraction, the Friends of the Lawrence Public Library fall book sale is going on in the library basement.

There may not be many warm fall weekends left. It’s a great opportunity to meet some authors, have some fun and stock up on winter reading material.