Saturday, May 11th from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. the Louisville Free Public Library (LFPL) on York Street was overrun by knowledge seekers at the second annual How-To Festival.
Free and open to the public, the How-To Festival gained over 3000 visitors this year, more than double the first year’s attendance. This was a major group effort, coordinated by the LFPL and made possible through hundreds of volunteers, including over 80 local presenters who came from all walks of life.
From learning how to dance gangnam style to beading bracelets to raising chickens to improving website SEO, there was something for every age group and interest. As a presenter myself in the business section, I met a 54 year-old woman and a 13 year-old boy who were both learning how to design remarkable business cards. It’s amazing how diverse a crowd you could find any of the presentations.
LFPL’s Education Manager, Judy Rosenfield explains “It was exciting to see the effort and enthusiasm of more than 80 presenters who donated their time to teaching – and delighting – all the people who came. What a vibrant and generous community we have.”
“The bread-making teacher – a lawyer by day – got an email at home from a class member with a photo of bread baked over the weekend. Someone also made a simple backyard rocket launcher and emailed the photo to the person who taught the class.”
“I love looking at the photos and seeing the diversity of every audience – from 5-year-olds to 65-year-olds learning square dancing, African drumming, cartooning.”
Work is already beginning on preparing for next year’s How-to Festival. While there’s already a list growing for next year’s presentations, the Louisville Free Public Library is open for more ideas. You can reach them at how-to@lfpl.org.
