The Capitol stage will be rocking this month with all the cool WCPL events on stage, featuring great local music, writing workshops, and author presentations throughout!
Library Rocks Concert for College Students & Teens
To welcome students back to school with a bang, the Capitol will host its second annual “Library Rocks” concert Saturday, September 7, at 6pm. At this free welcome-back event aimed at college and high school students, concert goers will be entertained by talented indie bands, including Hugh Trimble & the Atomic Ranch Band (www.atomicranchband.com), Marmalade (linktr.ee/marmaladebgky), and more! The show is free and open to everyone, and tickets can be reserved online at capitolbg.org/get-tickets.
Magnolia Gramling, manager of the Capitol, has been looking forward to hosting this event for a number of reasons. “A love for local music is weaved into the fabric of Bowling Green and sometimes it seems like musical talent is in the water here. The Capitol stage has been host to so many stars – many of whom played here before their careers skyrocketed. It’s my honor to carry on that legacy and to keep a youthful and innovative energy on our stage so that the next generation of local artists will know that they can always call Bowling Green home. I believe that hosting new and local bands at the Capitol is a crucial investment in the future of art in Bowling Green.”
Events for Book Lovers and Authors-in-Progress
For our book loving friends, Back to Back Books will fill their cups to overflow Saturday, September 21! While we shared details in last month’s SOKY Happenings article (https://www.sokyhappenings.com/2024/08/back-to-back-books-the-capitol/), we want to remind you that this book lovers festival will features a day of free presentations with notable authors, free books (200 per session) by the headlining authors, and an Author Hall full of even more talented authors (see warrenpl.org/b2b for the full schedule).
Immediately preceding the festival, on Friday, September 20, at 6pm author M Hendrix will host a panel presentation for aspiring authors called “Cultivating Connections: Navigating the Writing Life.” Panelists will include David Arnold, Gwenda Bond, plus writers from the Lexington Writers Room, who will discuss a variety of topics to help aspiring authors. They will cover topics like utilizing co-working spaces, improving the writing process, and getting your work published. They will also share information about their personal writing journeys and most recent publications. The free session will conclude with an audience Q&A. Attendees can register for that event through the library’s calendar of events (warrenpl.org/events).
Let’s Read Series: Chapter Book Author
The Let’s Read series kicked off in August and will host its second children’s book author Tuesday, October 1, at the Capitol. Teachers, group leaders, or parents can sign students up for sessions led by chapter book author Alicia Salazar beginning at either 9:30am or 11:30am. Salazar is a Mexican American children’s book author who lives in Texas. Her online bio (alicia-salazar.com) says she has written for blogs, magazines, and education publishers, was once an elementary school teacher and a marine biologist, and “when she is not dreaming up new adventures to experience, she is turning her adventures into stories for kids.”
Salazar’s Camila the Star series features seven-year-old Camila Maria Flores Ortiz, who follows her dream of becoming a star, attempting stardom in a variety of ways. From trying to break a world record to creating inventions and many adventures in between, creative Camila shows that she is up to all the challenges. Perfect for new and growing chapter book readers in early elementary school, each book in the series integrates Spanish words and phrases into the storyline, contains a glossary to assist, and ends with related activities.
Save the Date: Authors in October
It’s never too early to plan ahead, when there are even MORE amazing authors on the docket, right? Here are two more library events scheduled at the capital that we’re excited to announce:
Monday, October 14, 7pm: Meet award-winning and bestselling authors Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin, who have joined forces to deliver a thrilling historical mystery set at Bletchley Park, the home of WWII codebreakers. 300 copies of the middle grade historical fiction novel The Bletchley Riddle will be given away at the event! Sepetys (rutasepetys.com) is an internationally acclaimed, #1 New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction published in over sixty countries and forty languages. Sheinkin (SteveSheinkin.com) is the award-winning author of fast-paced, cinematic nonfiction histories.
Friday, October 18, 6pm: Meet Emily St. John Mandel (www.emilymandel.com), the bestselling author of numerous novels, including The Glass Hotel, Station Eleven, and Sea of Tranquility. Her novel Station Eleven, which won numerous awards, was adapted into a limited series for HBO.
Keep up with all that is happening at the Capitol by following us on social media (Facebook, Instagram, or X) or by signing up for our online newsletter through this link – tinyurl.com/CapitolBGNews – or the link on our home page (capitolbg.org).
-by Ashley Fowlkes, Digital Content Manager
