19th Annual Celebrating Words Festival Returns This May

The 19th annual Celebrating Words Festival continues on its mission to distribute high quality literature and culturally relevant books to the community for free. Literacy, being vital to the empowerment and prosperity of any society, the festival provides an accessible, brave, and dynamic space, encouraging creativity and supporting intellectual growth and healing for people of all ages.

The festival will be held on May 18, 2024 from 2-7 pm inside the Vaughn G3 Academy campus located at 11200 Herrick Ave., Pacoima, CA 91331.

The Celebrating Words Festival book giveaway is intentionally designed to be a literacy resource that supports our community members in becoming active readers and owners of personal libraries. Brand new books will be given away to all ages, in English, Spanish and bilingual print. Books will be available one per person and on a first-come, first-served basis.

Attendees of the Celebrating Words Festival will also find music and art workshops, ancestral knowledge, much needed information on low cost to free community resources, and our newest addition to the festival, the Wellness Zone/Zona de Bienestar; a grounding space for families to engage with plants, the outdoors, yoga, and cooking. There will even be a 25 foot rock climbing wall and of course plenty of great food.

The Celebrating Words Festival provides an accessible, brave, and dynamic space, encouraging creativity and supporting intellectual growth and healing in a vital way that is unique to arts and literacy. This event is family-friendly and for all ages.

This event is a presentation of Tia Chucha's Centro Cultural, whose mission is to transform communities in the Northeast San Fernando Valley and beyond through ancestral knowledge, the arts, literacy and creative engagement. The festival aims to be the leading event to put free, quality, and culturally relevant books in our community's hands.

PROGRAM:

Flor y Canto Stage Schedule 2-7 pm
Kalpulli Temachtia Quetzalcoatl - 2:00PM
Tia Chucha's Founders Trini & Luis Rodriguez - 2:35PM
Joyas Divinas 2:45PM
Livid Dream - 3:25PM
Nicolás y su Conjunto - 4:05PM
Rosalilia Mendoza 5:45PM
Thee Heart Tones - 5:00PM
The McCharmly's - 6:10PM

All-Day Outdoor Workshops BY AREA
Literacy Lane:
A literacy-focused space with workshops and activities involving writing, poetry, words, and zine making.

Make a Book! Haz un Libro! By LACMA
Empowerment Banners by Chile Morena
My Story in a Mini Zine! by Blancis the Creative
Collaging Through Printmaking by Alfonso Aceves of Kalli Arte Collective
Recordando: A Block Print Workshop by Xitlalic Guijosa. Sponsored by The Big Read

Arte y Sana:
Art is healing and healing is an artform. Let your creativity blossom and connect with our highlighted organizations at our Resource Fair.

Charms 'n Things by Jo and Jo
Tú Arte, Tú Voz by Abby Aceves
Fun Fact Light Up Bookmark by DIY Girls

Plaza Regeneración:

A grounding space to reconnect with oneself, rest, regenerates and engage in radical conversations.

Visionary Vessels by The Getty
Herbal Tea Station by Yerba Mystica
Pacoima Outdoors by Nature For All
The Magic of Compost by LA COMPOST
Wellness for Every Body by The Wild Plum
Flower Magic Eco Printing by Deyaworldwide
Native Plants Poster Screenprint by Meztli Projects
Solidarity Stencils by Guadalupe Gutierrez
Pot-a-Palooza: Planting Paradise by Pacoima Beautiful & Mr. List

Scheduled Workshops:

"Civilization of Death: Zapatista Philosophy & Autonomy"
by Sexta Grietas del Norte and facilitated by Dr. Bryant Partida
Zapatista Philosophy 3:30pm-4:30pm
Autonomy 5:00pm-6:00pm

At La Placita:

Comida en Resistencia! by Guayaba Kitchen
Lil' Readers Storytime! By Lil' Readers
3:00-3:20 pm- Lil' Readers
3:30-4:00 pm - Guayaba Kitchen
4:15-4:45 pm- Lil' Readers
5:00-5:45 pm- Guayaba Kitchen

Art Resources:

Special Edition Art Poster by Heidi Moreno, @heidiroo_art
Special Edition stickers by Noctamy, @noctamy & Riimachii, @riimachii
Special Edition Bookmark by Erica Friend Insomniart, @insomniart
Coloring Book by 818 artists:
● Luis Tovar, @luistovartattoos
● Gabriela Cortes, @onyourflesh
● Brisa Sisk, @sunnibri
● Riimachii, @riimachii
● Karen Ugarte
● Jasmine Diana, @jasminedianad
● Amber M. Garcia, @ambeemagdee
● Clarissa Campos, @clrssacmpos
● Piedradeluna444, @piedradeluna444

Resource Fair:

• El Nido
• Black and Latino Men Read & Young Women Of Color Read
• Danzone
• MEND
• CHIRLA
• MEChA de LAMC
• La Poet Society
• Plaza Comunitaria Sinaloa
• Valley Views KROJ (Radio Olin)
• El Centro de Amistad
• Vida Mobile Clinic
• Enrichment Works
• National Alliance on Mental Illness

Hearts and Hands Mercadito:

● Artist Vendors
● 2ndwnd, @2ndwnd
● Missing Cosmonaut, @missingcosmonaut
● Rabbit.Print, @Rabbit.Print
● Chica de Luz, @shopchicadeluz
● Mexicons Art, @mexiconsart
● Candy's Kloset, @candyskloset
● Sol Embrace, @sol.embrace
● Peligroso Social Club, @peligrososocialclub
● Semillas Artes, @semillasartes
● Clase de Joyería, @pacoimadiamonds
● Bloomcrushing, @bloomcrushing
● byHarryDiaz, @byharrydiaz

Food Vendors

● Soledad's Sopes, @soledads_sopes
● Zuly's Kitchen, @zulyskitchen
● Guayaba Kitchen, @guayabakitchen
● EL Chaparrito Tacos, @elchaparritotacos
● Sweet Stacks LA, @sweetstacksla

For information on the day's programming, vendors, arrival and parking & shuttle services available please visit the Celebrating Words Festival Website at https://www.tiachucha.org/celebrating-words-festival.

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