Tallahassee State College students are showcasing their literature magazine, The Eyrie, at the Word of South Festival this weekend.
WATCH FULL REPORT BELOW:
The Word of South Festival kicks off Friday, April 24th, at Cascades Park in Tallahassee, bringing a unique combination of literature and music to the community.
"I think it's a very cool thing because there's nothing exactly like this in the country, maybe in the world. If you Google book and music festival, this is what you get. And so, yeah, we're proud to showcase local artists and bring something, you know, national-level people and different things to Tallahassee," Festival Director Mark Mustian said.
The festival focuses on how literature and music are connected, featuring artists and writers sharing their work throughout the weekend. With nine stages and over 50 acts, the event offers a piece of art for everyone to enjoy. The festival also places a huge focus on the youth of Tallahassee.
"Every child that comes here will get a free book on Saturday," Mustian said.
Activities range from the Leon County STEAM Bus to children's book readings from local celebrities.
"The weather is good, which we think it will be, you know, 1,500 to 20,000 people over the course of the weekend. So it should be a big time. Well, I just think it's a, you know, I mean, books and music sort of speak to Tallahassee. I mean, this is a cultural mecca for this part of the country, really, and so we hope people will come and enjoy the local artists we have and a whole bunch of national figures that you otherwise never get a chance to see," Mustian said.
Tallahassee State College is one of the main sponsors and presenters of the event. The college's student literature magazine, The Eyrie, is being featured this weekend at Word of South.
"I'm very excited for it. I'm really proud of my team, and we love the magazine. Like we had an unveiling event to first show it to everybody, and seeing how many people picked up copies was really exciting. So I'm very excited to see it at a much bigger area where more people will be coming who might not even know about our school or know about the magazine at all," Lead Editor Carmen Diaz said.
"I've never really done something like this big, or like this, I'd say meaningful, because yeah, a lot of people will see it and they'll be like, oh, it's a book, like it's just a book. Most people won't even give it more than a glance. But this book is full of so many student pieces that they spent hours editing," Lead Designer Julizea Hernandez said.
Faculty Advisor Nicolette Costantino shared what makes the festival feature so special for her students.
"Continually grateful that the Eyrie is supported by the college so that it remains an outlet and a platform for students to have their voices heard and their talent recognized. I know for so many of them it's more than just being published, it's a landmark moment in their lives, you know, where they feel validated and heard, and it brings people together from gospel," Costantino said.
From hip-hop and literature magazines to children's book readings, the Word of South Festival offers something for everyone. The event is free to attend on Saturday and Sunday at Cascades Park.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Want to see more local news? Visit the WTXL ABC 27 Website.
Stay in touch with us anywhere, anytime.
