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March 16, 2026
By Aryanna Gamble
Sunday’s Family Day at the Fest wrapped up the weekend with a joyful celebration dedicated to young readers and their families. The day began on a high note with an uplifting performance by the New Voices New Orleans choir, setting the tone for a morning filled with stories, creativity and community.
This year’s programming expanded in exciting ways, including the introduction of a second stage of activities and the debut of Author Alley, where children and families had the chance to meet authors, discover new stories and explore the world of books together. Throughout the day, young readers enjoyed story readings, crafts, performances and visits from costumed characters — bringing imagination to life across campus while helping children build lifelong connections to books.
Among the day’s presenters was animator Jamy Wheless, director of the animated short Andy: A Dog’s Tale, who spoke with families about bringing characters to life through animation. During his career at Industrial Light & Magic, Wheless contributed to the development and performance of the first fully digital version of Yoda in the Star Wars prequel trilogy and helped animate the unforgettable Davy Jones in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, giving young audiences a glimpse into how beloved characters come to life on screen.
A major highlight of the day was the announcement of the winners of the inaugural Family Day Writing Contest, celebrating the creativity and storytelling talents of young writers from across the region. After thanking all participants for their enthusiasm and the many wonderful submissions received, festival organizers recognized the winners in two age groups.
4th–5th Grade Winners
- 1st Place: My Image in the Mirror by Ida Cutler
- 2nd Place: The Adventures of Roni and Mackie by Claire Kelley
- 3rd Place: Where I Belong by Jac Kiely
6th–8th Grade Winners
- 1st Place: The Experiment by Savannah Glick
- 2nd Place: I Belong with Movies by June McDermott
- 3rd Place: The Middle of Nowhere by Ele Bossier
The audience celebrated each winner as they came to the stage to receive their prizes, with special thanks to Ruby Slipper Cafe for providing prizes for the first-place winners.
Another inspiring moment came from Malcolm Mitchell, the Super Bowl–winning former NFL wide receiver and author of My Very Favorite Book in the Whole Wide World; The Magician's Hat; and the founder of the Share the Magic literacy foundation, who spoke about overcoming reading challenges and how discovering books helped shape his success on and off the field. His conversation was thoughtfully moderated by Gaffney Corriher, an eighth-grade student athlete and festival volunteer, creating a meaningful exchange between two generations of readers.
From lively readings and jokes to musical performances and interactive activities, Family Day continued to grow as a welcoming space for children to explore stories, meet authors and celebrate the joy of reading.
Raleigh Stewart, illustrator of The Fly Who Flew Under the Sea, and a life size Flynn character shared their story, signed books, and posed for photos with excited fans.
Among the day’s memorable performances was a musical rendition of Look Up, a picture book about a pigeon-led revolution, by Louisiana author Britt Gondolfi, who was attending the festival for the first time.
“Performing at the NOLA Book Fest as a first-time author from Louisiana was a dream — and not just because our book sold out,” Gondolfi said. “Being able to share our story and song with an audience of New Orleans families was an experience and a memory I will carry with me for a long time. The illustrator and I had a blast connecting with families and educators in Author Alley, and my daughter even got to meet one of her favorite manga creators — shoutout to Misako Rocks! I’m so grateful to everyone who makes this hometown book fest a national treasure in the literary world.”
Thanks to a long-time collaboration with Scholastic, and the new nonprofit, Impact Reading, more than 5,000 free books were distributed to children throughout the day, ensuring that many young readers left with a story of their own to take home.
Special thanks also go to Honorary Family Day Co-Chairs, Saints head coach Kellen Moore and Julie Moore, who generously donated their time and enthusiasm to help make the day even more special for families and young readers.
Family Day once again showed the power of stories to bring families together and inspire the next generation of readers and writers.
