Better Off Read Summer Book Festival at Artpark

Guest editorial & images by Ian Kinney

Better Off Read Summer Book Festival

Dear readers,

My name is Ian Kinney. I’m a writer from Lewiston, and I run a small, nonprofit publishing company out of rented office space at my former elementary school, Stella Niagara. On Saturday, Sept. 5, at Artpark, my longtime assistant, Marlee Jaeger, and I will be presenting The 5th Annual Better Off Read Summer Book Festival.

I spent the past few days trying to think of something to submit to the Niagara County Tribune/Sentinel that would help to encourage people to check out this year’s event. And, to be honest, I had a few pretty fun ideas. From terrible promotional poems full of forced rhymes and fake interview transcripts with completely made-up reporters … to just the hilariously true story of how I spent like an entire month this summer emailing with someone only to eventually learn they weren’t really a publicist and had absolutely zero connection to the Wu-Tang Clan.

However, in all honesty, rather than talking up this year’s festival, what I really wanted to do was just take this opportunity to thank all of the members of this community who have supported this event and helped it grow throughout the past few years. From the countless local businesses and organizations that have sponsored us or advocated on our behalf to just the thousands of people who have attended or taken part in the event each summer. Throwing this festival really has become one of the most fun and rewarding experiences of my entire life, and I just could never express my gratitude enough to all of the people in Lewiston, the greater WNY area, and everywhere else who have helped to make this thing possible.

We started out so small. It was just a little book sale and about half a dozen vendors in my former elementary school’s playground. Our only sponsors were a couple of my friends’ local businesses, and our only special donors were a few lesser-known bands and comedians I knew.

It really is just an entire bushel full of freakin’ bananas to me that we’re now returning next weekend, for our fifth year, at one of the most gorgeous and highly regarded event venues in the entire state, with over 130 vendors, multiple professional sports teams as sponsors, and special donors like Billie Eilish, Danny DeVito, and the one and only chicka-chicka Slim Shady.

The growth and success of this festival over the past few years really has felt like nothing short of an absolute dream come true for me, but it’s only been possible because every summer more and more of you have been willing to give this event a chance. And so, again, sincerely, from all of us here at The Better Off Read Summer Book Festival – thank you.

We’ll see you all on Saturday, Sept. 5, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Artpark!!

With tremendous appreciation,

Ian