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Rosslyn BID Hosts Second Annual Rosslyn Reads! Book Festival


Pop-up bookstore, reading and signing by award-winning author Elaine Weiss, live music, food, wine and beer at Central Place Plaza April 25

ARLINGTON, Va. (March 26, 2019) – Rosslyn Reads! Book Festival—hosted by the Rosslyn Business Improvement District (BID) in partnership with the Arlington Public Library and Carpe Librum—is back for a second year, taking over Central Place Plaza on Thursday, April 25, with all proceeds benefitting Turning the Page. Last year’s event raised over $20,000 for the non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that students receive necessary educational resources and high-quality public education.

“We launched Arlington’s first-ever outdoor book festival last year to an overwhelmingly positive response from the community and over 2,000 attendees,” said Mary-Claire Burick, president of the Rosslyn BID. “Building on this success, we are bringing back this day of community, entertainment and literary events for all ages. This year, Elaine Weiss is joining us for an important discussion about her book, The Woman’s Hour, which tells the inspiring story of the fight for women’s right to vote.”

Recently selected by Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television for a television series or movie, with Hillary Clinton as executive producer, The Woman’s Hour provides a narrative history of American women’s crusade to obtain the most basic right of democracy: the right to vote. Clinton hails the book as “both a page-turning drama and an inspiration for every reader.” Elaine Weiss will host an author talk from 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. ET, followed by a book signing at 6:30 p.m.

The festival will run from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and feature a pop-up bookstore selling over 25,000 used books, CDs and DVDs with prices ranging from $1 to $8. Attendees are invited to also bring used books to donate to Turning the Page.

Rosslyn Reads! once again coincides with Bring Your Child to Work Day. Children’s entertainment includes Tunes & Tales, a musical story hour geared for preschool-aged children from 10 to 11 a.m. followed by craft activities in the afternoon, and the Magic of Zain at 4 p.m. For adults, gypsy jazz ensemble UltraFaux, food trucks and a wine and beer pop-up bar will be featured from 7 to 10 p.m.

For event information, including parking and other Rosslyn BID events, please visit: https://www.rosslynva.org/books

Full Schedule—Rosslyn Reads! Book Festival
Thursday, April 25, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET
All Events at Central Place Plaza, 1800 N. Lynn Street

10:00 a.m.: Tunes & Tales (family story time) organized by the Arlington Public Library
4:00 p.m.: Magic of Zain
5:30 p.m.: Author Talk: Elaine Weiss, The Woman’s Hour
6:30 p.m.: Elaine Weiss Book Signing
7:00-10:00 p.m.: Live Music by UltraFaux + Food Trucks + Pop-up Bar

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About Rosslyn Business Improvement District

The Rosslyn Business Improvement District provides high-quality, customer-oriented services designed to define, enhance and continually improve Rosslyn for those who work, live, visit and do business here. As a resourceful and collaborative organization, we work in partnership with our key stakeholders and Arlington County to create a welcoming, creative thriving environment that supports Rosslyn’s residents and a wide range of business types, from innovative start-ups to established Fortune 500 companies and international associations. We take an active leadership role in all that we do, serving as a collaborator, community builder and agent of positive change. For more information, please visit, www.rosslynva.org.

About The Woman’s Hour

Critically-acclaimed journalist Elaine Weiss sets the stage for a nail-biting account of the story behind one of the greatest political fights in history, the women’s right to vote. The story unfolds in the midst of a bitter presidential campaign, and captures the forces of history, culture and politics that made obtaining this right to vote so difficult. Echoing some of today’s most pressing concerns including voting rights, voter suppression and women’s rights, The Woman’s Hour reads like a political thriller, with the outcome uncertain until the very end. The New York Times and NPR have hailed it as “engrossing” and “stirring” with a “superb sense of detail.”