By Gina Yarbrough
Oceanside, CA–Write On, Oceanside!, the city’s annual literary festival celebrating local authors, will return for its 16th year on October 1.
The free community event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Civic Center Library Plaza, Courtyard, and Community Rooms at 330 North Coast Highway in downtown Oceanside.
Hosted by the Oceanside Public Library and the Oceanside Cultural Arts Foundation, the festival will feature more than 20 local authors sharing, signing, and selling their work. Attendees can enjoy author readings, spoken word poetry with Glassless Minds, dramatic performances by high school drama students, and craft activities for children.
Two free workshops are scheduled during the day. At 10:30 a.m., authors Clive Gill, Pat Spencer, Christopher Long, and Jolie Tunnell will present “How to Publish,” offering insights into their personal publishing journeys. At 12:30 p.m., local indie comic artist and illustrator Vince Alvendia will lead a hands-on “Zine Workshop,” teaching participants of all ages how to create their own self-published booklets.
The festival will also highlight the winners of the popular six-word story contest at 1:30 p.m.
Organizers say the event’s mission is to inspire creativity and strengthen community through literacy, cultural inclusiveness, and openness to new ideas.
For more information on the festival, call (760) 435-5600, visit oceansidepubliclibrary.org, or follow @oceansidelibrary on Instagram and Facebook.