Open Book Festival returns to Ferndale with speed puzzling

The Open Book Festival returns to the Ferndale Events Center on Nov. 8, marking its comeback after a one-year hiatus in 2025. The event is sponsored by the Whatcom County Library Foundation and presented by the Whatcom County Library System along with Village Books. According to a news release, the festival drew more than 800 attendees in both 2023 and 2024.

Programming begins at noon with a welcome ceremony at 12:20 p.m. The day includes poetry readings from the Salish Sea Poetry Festival and the presentation of Golden Apple awards to four local educators, including a paraeducator from Ferndale and a teacher from Lynden, at 12:30 p.m.

Author talks are scheduled for the afternoon. Donna Barba Higuera, who writes middle-grade and picture books including “The Last Cuentista” and “El Cucuy,” will speak at 1 p.m. Emma Pattee, a climate journalist and fiction writer known for her bestseller “Tilt,” is set to speak at 2:30 p.m.

The day concludes with the finals for the Whatcom County Library System’s first-ever speed puzzling contest at 4 p.m. Outside of the main stage, visitors can explore booths offering hands-on activities, library service information, and the Library Game.

Christine Perkins, the executive director of the Whatcom County Library System, said in a news release that the event connects neighbors to library services and community partners. She noted that the festival brings smiles to people of all ages.

The event runs until 5 p.m. at 5715 Barrett Road in Ferndale. Admission is free and the festival is open to all ages.