Tucson Festival of Books 2023

The Friends of Ironwood Forest sponsored a booth at the Tucson Festival of Books for the first time over the weekend of March 4th and 5th. Book sales of three titles were offered, but the main reasons for having the booth were to raise awareness, provide education on various aspects of the Monument, and to inform folks of the supportive role of the Friends.

We were amazed at the number and constant flow of visitors to our booth. We surpassed our expectations and succeeded in meeting our goals, by far. An added bonus is all the valuable feedback and information we received from attendees. We distributed close to 500 of our new maps, logo stickers, and information flyers. We were also able to add a significant number of names to our information and volunteer distribution lists. As far as outreach goes, we received positive feedback from Festival attendees and all those involved in organizing and staffing the booth. This venture has provided a very successful opportunity for meeting the outreach mission for our organization.

Thanks go out to board member Leona Lansing for taking the lead on this new venture and to the many volunteers who helped make this happen. Like any of our events, a lot of planning, logistics, and volunteer help are involved. Melanie Morgan, Executive Director of the Tucson Festival of Books said, “This is the busiest year I’ve ever seen.” We were indeed stunned by the crowds, and uplifted by all the great feedback we received.