It is amazing how many wonderful things there are to do when you live in Northeast Florida! In just over two weeks, The Florida Heritage Book Festival will come to St. Augustine. The event is designed to showcase Florida’s culture and heritage by honoring authors who write about or live in the Sunshine State.

The festival begins on Friday, September 11 with a Writers Workshop. If you’ve always dreamed of writing your own book, you can learn how to polish your writing skills and get published from successful authors like Nancy Haddock, Sean Bean and Thomas B. Cavanagh. The workshop will be at the Casa Monica Hotel from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The price of $65 (or $85 at the door) includes lunch.

The next day, September 12, is full of free daytime events including authors’ presentations, poetry readings, panel discussions and children’s programs. There is also a Keynote Author Luncheon from noon to 2:00 PM at the Casa Monica. Senator Mel Martinez will share his story on how he went from an 11-year-old boy huddled on his bedroom floor in Cuba as gun fights raged outside his window to being a Florida Senator and author of “A Sense of Belonging: One Man’s Pursuit of the American Dream”. Tickets to the luncheon are $45.

All of the proceeds from the events will benefit the St. Johns County Friends of the Library and the Newspaper in Education programs. If you love books, you are sure to enjoy this weekend!