Bookmark your calendar for WPPL's Bash for Books

The Winter Park Public Library is hoping the local community will come check out its 11th annual Bash for Books event from 7 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 19, at the Rachel D. Murrah Civic Center to raise money for library programing.

The theme of this year’s event will be “Once Upon a Time,” bringing a fantasy feel to an event that includes silent auctions, music, and food from local restaurants.

The Bash for Books event is the Winter Park Public Library’s largest fundraiser of the year, and has raised roughly $650,000 for the library over the past 11 years.

“Money that we raise from Bash for Books goes directly back into the library to buy the materials and services that the community very much needs but isn’t paid for by the support we receive from the city,” said Mary Gail Coffee, director of c¬ommunity relations for the library.

Coffee added that 30 percent of the library’s annual budget comes from fundraisers like Bash for Books.

“Events like Bash for Books are special in that they allow us to do things that are little bit more over and above,” Coffee said. “They allow us to do things like bringing in a special author and sending them to local middle schools and help just really engender that love of reading.”

Tickets are $125 per person, and $250 for couples. For more information and to buy tickets, visit wppl.org/bash