The Demand for the Erie Art Company’s Lake Erie Lit Festival

Erie Art Company’s Mission and LIT Goals

he Erie Art Company’s Lake Erie Lit Fest (LELF) addresses a significant need for literary and cultural enrichment across the Erie community. This report outlines the demand for the festival, highlighting the gaps it fills and the rationale behind its creation.

Erie Art Company’s Mission and Literary Goals

The Erie Art Company is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering the local community through creative placemaking and fostering sustainable creative processes. LELF advances this mission by providing an inclusive platform for literary expression, community engagement, and diverse storytelling experiences. By integrating arts and technology initiatives, the festival distinguishes itself from traditional literary events and expands Erie’s cultural landscape.

The festival aims to:

• Showcase readings and performances across diverse literary disciplines.

• Host interactive workshops led by experienced storytellers covering comedy, poetry, community theater, and self-publishing.

• Curate a vibrant marketplace featuring authors, independent publishers, and local artisans.

• Provide a dedicated children’s area with crafts, book giveaways, and storytimes to build early literacy and inspire lifelong reading habits.

The Need for a Dedicated Literary Festival in Erie

While no formal feasibility study or survey originally commissioned LELF, the festival directly addresses several clear community needs:

• Expanding Access to Literary Events: Erie lacks an annual, comprehensive literary festival that unites authors, readers, and the broader public. While established events such as the Great American Book Sale and the Creative Writers Reading Series at Penn State Behrend offer great value, they do not provide the broad programming, marketplace, and interactive scale of a full festival.

• Creating Direct Author Interaction: LELF connects Erie residents directly with poets, novelists, and storytellers from varied backgrounds, encouraging creative expression and deeper engagement with the craft.

• Strengthening Community Connections: The festival serves as a cultural gathering place that brings together residents of all ages and backgrounds.

Strong community support—including a partnership with Werner Books and grant funding from the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority (ECGRA)—has driven the festival's expansion to larger venues, reflecting steady growth and local demand.

Community Need and Measurable Impact

1. Socioeconomic Context & Literacy Baseline

Access to literature and creative arts programming is a fundamental driver of civic engagement and economic mobility. However, deep socioeconomic disparities across Erie County present significant barriers to arts and literacy access:

• Childhood Poverty & Resource Scarcity: Over 21% of children across Erie County live below the federal poverty line—a figure that exceeds 30% within urban Erie. For many families, discretionary spending on books, writing workshops, and cultural outings is out of reach.

• Adult Literacy & Educational Attainment: Approximately 10% of Erie County adults lack a high school diploma or equivalent, and only 30.3% hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. These figures highlight the necessity for accessible, informal learning environments that encourage reading, writing, and creative expression outside traditional academic institutions.

The Lake Erie Lit Fest (LELF) directly addresses these disparities by maintaining a 100% barrier-free, free-admission model, ensuring that all community members—regardless of household income—have direct access to books, authors, and enriching cultural experiences.

2. Economic Activation & Creative Placemaking

Cultural events serve as powerful catalysts for local commerce and downtown revitalization:

• Local Spending Multiplier: According to Americans for the Arts (Arts & Economic Prosperity), attendees of nonprofit arts and culture events spend an average of $38.46 per person per event (beyond the cost of admission) on dining, transportation, lodging, and retail.

• Neighborhood Pride & Retention: Research consistently shows that over 86% of cultural event attendees report that public arts gatherings instill neighborhood pride and strengthen community identity.

By activating public spaces and partnering with regional anchors, LELF drives tangible foot traffic to regional small businesses, independent presses, and local makers.

3. Measurable Community Impact & Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

The Erie Art Company evaluates the festival’s success through targeted operational and community benchmarks:

• Direct Literary Access & Micro-Economy Support: Convening 30+ local and regional authors, independent publishers, and artisans annually, providing creative practitioners with direct sales platforms and professional networking.

• Youth Literacy Distribution: Putting hundreds of free, curated books directly into the hands of children and families through dedicated storytelling stages, maker workshops, and literacy giveaways.

• Workforce & Creative Skill-Building: Delivering free, open-access workshops across diverse creative sectors—including self-publishing, poetry, comedic writing, and community theater—equipping aspiring writers with practical skills for modern creative economies.

Special Thanks & Acknowledgments

The Erie Art Company extends its sincere gratitude to the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority (ECGRA) for their vital grant funding, which has provided the structural support necessary to scale LELF, secure expanded venues, and broaden our community reach.

Special thanks are also due to Werner Books for their enduring partnership, logistical collaboration, and shared commitment to championing regional authors and fostering a vibrant literary culture throughout Northwestern Pennsylvania.