Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival
About The Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival
at the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine
Sunday, September 27, 2026 | 9:00a - 4:00p
The Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine is proud to partner with Indigo Arts Alliance (IAA), along with other statewide partners, for the annual Beautiful Blackbird Children's Book Festival, a celebration of children’s book authors and illustrators of the African Diaspora. On Sunday, September 27, CMTM will present an in-person schedule of literary and art activities for the whole family, including art-making workshops and read-alouds.
The Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival at CMTM is a FREE admission day. Admission to the Museum & Theatre will be FREE for every visitor. A child must accompany adult visitors. Visitation is expected to be high. Reservations are recommended.
Museum Tickets
Admission to the Museum & Theatre will be FREE for every visitor.
Reservations are recommended. Visitation is expected to be high.
Schedule and Programming
Check back soon for a full list of our Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival day-of events and programming!
Learn More
Marcia Minter, Co-founder and Executive Director of Indigo Arts Alliance stands in front of the Artist Gallery in the Beautiful Blackbird Exhibit at CMTM. Learn more about CMTM’s Beautiful Blackbird exhibit at https://www.kitetails.org/beautiful-blackbird.
History: Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival
The Beautiful Blackbird Children's Book Festival was founded in 2020 by Indigo Arts Alliance in partnership with I’m Your Neighbor Books and Diverse BookFinder and is produced with the 2023 partners: The Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine, Center for Maine Contemporary Art, the Farnsworth Art Museum, and LA Arts.
This year's festival continues to honor the legacy of Black children’s book creator and artist Ashley Bryan and will feature a 3,000 book giveaway and live events in Portland, Lewiston, and Rockland. Each featured book and event will provide an opportunity for young readers of color to see themselves reflected in literature created with them in mind and to interact with the authors and illustrators as role models and storytellers.
Learn more at beautifulblackbird.com
