Two Santa Clarita brothers looking for a summer service project will add a colorful touch to the children’s Literacy & Arts Festival, scheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, November 3, at Newhall Park.


Thirteen-year-old Andrew Wisdom and his brother Brian, 14, spent the summer hand-lettering 25 signs with factoids about reading, music, arts, jokes and the SCV Chamber Education Foundation, which is sponsoring the local festival for the first time this year.  The signs, donated by Sign-O-Rama, will be placed around the festival grounds where guests at the free children’s event can enjoy their messages.

The brothers got involved at the urging of their mother, Therese Wisdom, who noted the growing need for teens to be involved in community service.  “They need to do community service and I wanted to make them aware of what is available in the community,” Mrs. Wisdom explained.  “They love to read and love music, so this was a good fit.”

The Wisdom family learned of the festival through a flyer at Borders Books, which is one of the festival’s main sponsors.  Mrs. Wisdom also had worked in the past with Ann Unger, the event chair, through the boys’ elementary school.  The teens were excited about being
involved with the fair and challenged to come up with creative ideas to design the signs.  Their handiwork will be evident throughout the festival grounds on November 3.

The Education Foundation is sponsoring the festival to encourage an appreciation of reading and the arts among local children.  The day-long event will include storytellers and performance artists bringing stories to life in the main tent, authors and guests reading stories in the storytelling tent, and tents for children’s crafts, book activities and music.

Strolling entertainers will regale guests with magic, balloons animals, juggling and
costumed characters.  Educational booths will highlight literacy and arts programs provided by commercial vendors and non-profit groups, and food and drinks will be available for sale.

All activities except the food are free, thanks to the support of event sponsors.  Any proceeds beyond the cost of running the event will go to the Education Foundation’s classroom grants and scholarship programs.  Major event sponsors include Borders, Newhall Land, Time Warner Cable, Little School of Music and Telesis Community Credit Union. Media sponsors
include The Magazine of Santa Clarita, The Signal and KHTS Radio.
For more information visit www.scvcef.com/Lit-Fest/ .