The Vegas Valley Book Festival is a three-day cultural event founded in 2002 and now is the largest literary event in Nevada.

The festival is alive with opportunities to mix with authors, artists and publishers. On Thursday, October 16, for example, at the Clark County Library, B.J. Novak, actor, writer, director and executive producer, best known for his work on NBC’s Emmy Award-winning comedy series “The Office”, opened the festival.

Poet Waddie Mitchell was a featured speaker on Friday at the Lloyd George Federal Courthouse. Saturday, authors Sylvia Day and Tracy Wolff were “in conversation” at the Fifth Street School Auditorium. Speakers and panel discussions are the hallmark of the festival with titles such as “Bam! It’s a Picture Book Panel Discussion”, “Workshop: Climbing Family Trees: How to Research Your Family’s History and Celebrate Your Heritage”, “Vegas Writes: Lost & Found in Las Vegas: What the City Hides and What It Reveals” and “Workshop for Educators: Why Math + Science = Art”. Just about everyone who writes and teaches is somehow involved in the festival.

Personally, I am a late-comer to festival activities, having attended once before to listen to a friend who was on a panel. This year, however, I was part of the action, though just barely, for two hours representing an organization called Writers of Southern Nevada. I then took even more time on Saturday to wander the grounds of the outdoor section of the festival at the Fifth Street School.

I was surprised, during my wanderings to see Mac King, one of my favorite entertainers (he’s a comedy/magician at Harrah’s Las Vegas) in his own rather large booth. What I didn’t know was that King has written two books on magic for children, one of which is in its 12th printing. He is shown in the accompanying video, honoring children who entered an essay contest he sponsored and, of course, offering a bit of magic.

I also was quite impressed at seeing a singer they called “Steve Songs” who indeed played the guitar and sang songs that encouraged young people to move with the music. Because I do not watch PBS children’s shows, I had no idea that Steve Roslonek is actually a national PBS personality…and we were very lucky to have him — and his talent — in Las Vegas. He was fun for the kids … and the adults.

Next year, I will probably skip the outdoor activities altogether and join a variety of audiences to learn from the speakers. Yes, Las Vegas is more than casinos and nightclubs. We do have a variety of cultural events. In my view, the Vegas Valley Book Festival shines a very positive light on the community.