The Reading Town Sudbury Ville Lecture festival is back this week.
This year's event, running until May 8, builds on the legacy of the previous editions of the festival and will provide opportunities for local residents to reconnect with the various Tales on the Trails located throughout Greater Sudbury while supporting local restaurants with takeout food specials.
The festival will also be hosting virtual bilingual programming in partnership with the Greater Sudbury Public Library.
Reading Town Ville Lecture was first hosted in Greater Sudbury in 2016 as an initiative of the National Reading Campaign with a mission to make reading a national priority and a vision to create, sustain, and grow a society in which everyone has an equal opportunity to become and remain a lifelong reader.
"Through the National Reading Campaign, Reading Town Sudbury Ville Lecture created a number of legacy projects such as the Tales on the Trails program," said Derek Young, the festival's director.
"This year, with COVID-19, many families are enjoying safer, more open air spaces like trails, so it's a great opportunity to re-imagine Reading Town Sudbury Ville Lecture as an independent local event with safe live and virtual bilingual programming."
The festival will include five story trails, featuring “Sometimes I Feel Like A Fox” by local author Danielle Daniel at Langdon Park in Blezard Valley, “Melissa's Magnificent Message” on the Hillfield Trail at Fielding Park in Lively and “Samuel's Most Important Message” at Kivi Park, both written by Frank Glew, as well as bilingual stories, “The Branch/Ma Branche Préférée” by Mireille Messier at Rotary Park and “Blackflies/Vilains maringouins!” by Robert Munsch at the Lake Laurentian Conservation Area.
New this year in partnership with Jana Hospitality Consulting, The Apollo, Overtime, Gourmet World and J's Roadhouse in Val Caron will be offering family takeout specials for hikers visiting the trails.
Hikers and their families are kindly reminded to respect social distancing and masking amongst other hikers.
In partnership with the Greater Sudbury Public Library, the festival will feature virtual story times with local authors Rosanna Micelotta Battigelli, Bonnie Mathieu and Dr. Yannick Charette, as well as virtual programs such as arts and crafts and story times on May 4 to celebrate everyone's favourite space opera, Origami Insects on May 7, and a special Lost Socks Memorial Day on May 8.
A listing of activities and programming updates are posted on the Reading Town Sudbury Ville Lecture Facebook page (@rtvlsudbury). For more information, phone 705-918-2601 or email [email protected].
