Decatur Book Festival Draws Largest Crowd Yet

Maybe it was the nice weather. Maybe after six years, the word is out.

Whatever it was, the Decatur Book Festival drew its largest crowd ever this year. Organizers estimate 75,000-80,000 people came out to downtown Decatur.

“I’m not surprised that we continue to grow,” said Daren Wang, executive director of the festival. He said the book festival grows by word-of-mouth, and he gave credit to both the programming and marketing teams.

This year there were some challenges, though, as the lawn next to the bandstand was closed off. That meant the festival's setup had to be rearranged.  

“When you’ve had a footprint you’ve been working with for several years, to change it is a lot of work,” Wang said. “I was more proud of the logistics of the event than anything.”

This is the seventh year of the Decatur Book Festival, billed as the largest independent book festival in the country.

And the events aren't over. Check the website for more this fall.