The Great Blindini will be among those taking part in the Third Annual Felton Library Festival. (Photo courtesy Felton Library Friends

Eat watermelon. Socialize over ice cream. Listen to good music. Support the Felton Library. The Felton Library Festival on Saturday (September 12) affords a perfect opportunity to do all of these things.

Sponsored by Felton Library Friends, this free festival has something to offer both kids and adults.

“It’s a fun event, very down home,” said Michele Mosher, a volunteer with the group.

For the third year, straw will cover the ground of the empty lot next to the Felton Post Office, the planned future site of the new library. From 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. booths of children’s activities will stand alongside food booths featuring Marianne’s ice cream, Redwood Pizza pizza and organic watermelon. The festival is billed as a watermelon feed and ice cream social.

Camp Joy Gardens plans a tent of apple fun, while the San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District food program will help create food art. The Great Blindini, a frequent library guest, will teach magic to tots. There will also be free face painting and book making.

For those with a little cash to spare, a literary cupcake walk may bring a tasty treat. Instead of numbers, said Mosher, the chairs will have the titles of children’s classic literature on them. After the music stops, the winning titles will be pulled out of a hat, determining who gets the cupcakes. A full cake “was too much for one kid to win,” Mosher said.

A children’s book swap and sale is also part of the festivities. Children ages 12 and younger can bring up to five books to exchange.

A small stage will host performances by lap steel guitarist Patti Maxine, recently seen at Don Quixote’s, along with vocalist Beth Hollenbeck, local bluegrass group Marbled Murrelets and the Little People’s Theatre Singers of Ben Lomond. A short speech by new Santa Cruz Library Director Teresa Landers is planned for around 2:30 p.m.

Landers and architect Teall Messer will both be available at the information booth to discuss future plans for the library building.

“The library is a central place for people in this community,” Mosher said.

Falling property tax and sales tax revenue alongside local and state budget cuts have led the Felton Library’s hours to be cut back to eight per week, among the lowest in the Santa Cruz Public Libraries system. Library acquisitions have also been affected, leading to wish lists being set up at Bookshop Santa Cruz and other local bookstores.

Felton Library Festival. 12:30 – 3:30 p.m. Site of the future Felton Library, next door to 6101 Gushee Street, Felton. Free. (831) 335-1135.