Thank you for another great year of literacy and community.
Donate to support the festival in 2026
COMING SOON!
The 2023 Lake Erie Literary Festival began as the Washington Irving Literary Festival, a cherished initiative founded by the Erie Art Company and staged in City of Erie’s Washington Park.
Driven by a shared passion for literature and a desire to foster cultural engagement, the festival quickly gained momentum. In 2024, responding to growing enthusiasm and a vision for broader impact, the festival expanded significantly, rebranding as the Lake Erie Literary Festival and relocating to the vibrant, open spaces of Frontier Park. This move allowed us to welcome more authors, artists, and attendees, creating a truly immersive and accessible experience for everyone.
In 2025 the Lake Erie Literary Festival is a community celebration dedicated as a bridge between authors, artists, and the public. Our project is driven by four core pillars: making storytelling accessible, championing diverse literary voices, inspiring creativity through hands-on workshops, and strengthening Erie’s cultural fabric through shared discovery. This year's festival successfully transformed a literary event into a full-scale cultural activation, driving significant artistic and community value.Artistic Excellence & Community Leadership
The Poetry and Performances area was a dynamic and inclusive highlight, elevated by the guidance of Mabel Howard—community activist, entrepreneur, and USA TODAY Woman of the Year. Furthermore, a strategic partnership with NWPA Poetry ensured a strong, dedicated poetic presence, bringing local poets to the main stage and celebrating spoken word as an essential literary art form. In a firm stand against censorship, the festival established a Banned Books Area and partnered with the Erie County Library who curated the books while Erie Art Company create festival signage to represent the history of banning books. This allowed attendees to freely engage and take home copies of frequently challenged titles. Together we handed out over 245 Free books, ranging from gender queer, historic, classics, fictional and narrative.
2025 Impact by the Numbers
Core Literacy & Access
245+ Free Books Distributed: Provided high-demand titles (LGBTQ+, Gender Queer, and Classics) through the "Banned Books" initiative to remove financial barriers to diverse literature.
100% Free Admission: Maintained zero-cost entry for the public, ensuring the festival remained a truly accessible community asset for all socioeconomic backgrounds.
15+ Hours of Programming: A full day of continuous literary engagement across the Main Stage, Youth Tent, and Workshop spaces.
Artistic & Professional Support
40+ Regional Authors & Poets: Showcased a "rich tapestry" of voices from the tri-state area, providing local indie creators with a platform to reach hundreds of new readers.
5+ Professional Writing Workshops: Led by published authors, these sessions provided free professional development in skills like character building and journaling.
24 Diverse Performances Curated by USA TODAY Woman of the Year Mabel Howard, featuring a representative mix of spoken word, poetry, and storytelling.
Economic & Community Vitality
25+ Small Business Vendors: Supported the local creative economy, featuring artisans like Bookforge and Creaky Spine Bindery, along with local publishers.
5+ Community Partnerships: Collaborative activations with organizations such as NWPA Poetry, Erie County Public Library, Mission Empower, LEAF, Gannon University, and City of Erie.
Local Economic Support: Featured iconic Erie small businesses, including Chuck and Ginny’s and Casey’s Ice Cream, keeping festival spending within the local community.
Engagement & Education
3 Dedicated Children’s Literacy Zone: Focused on "igniting passion" through "story times" for the next generation of readers.
Get involved!
We are searching for those who are passionate and want to help the Literary Festival Grow!
Join Us!
Our Organization
The Erie Art Company is a local non-profit corporation dedicated to innovative and exemplary art and education projects. Together with community leaders, local artists, and numerous volunteers, we create projects that focus on combining arts and technology initiatives.
AUTHOR TENT
Welcome to the heart of our literary festival. This collection of authors represents a tapestry of voices, each thread woven with unique experiences. Each author brings a distinct flavor to the festival, offering a glimpse into the human experience through the lens of their own unique narrative.
CHILDREN TENT
Welcome to the Children's Tent at the Lake Erie Lit Festival! Here, young imaginations soar with authors sharing enchanting stories of adventure, friendship, and discovery. Each storyteller guides journeys through fantastical and relatable tales. Children will explore diverse themes and cultures, inspiring curiosity and creativity. Join us for reading sessions, interactive storytelling, and a chance to meet the voices behind the books that ignite young minds. Let the adventure begin!
Fight Fascism with the Lake Erie Lit Fest 2026
Fascism thrives on censorship and the suppression of ideas. In partnership with the Erie County Public Library, we're giving away free banned books to empower our community with knowledge and activate critical thinking.
Your donation to Lake Erie Lit Fest directly supports this vital initiative, helping us put essential literature into the hands of readers and push back against the forces that seek to control what we read and think.
Visit Erie County Public Library’s Banned Books Exhibit at Lake Erie Lit Fest to explore the books being challenged today. Take home a copy (while supplies last) and decide for yourself what warrants a book ban.
Join us in defending freedom of speech and the right to read. Donate today to fight fascism, one banned book at a time!
