Literacy, Inc. (LINC) connects families across the city to reading resources in their own neighborhoods.
This coming Saturday, October 8th, from noon to 4:00 p.m. some of LINC’s trained volunteers, our Very
Involved Parents or VIPs, will be sharing their love of reading with the community at the first Little Red
Lighthouse Festival since the pandemic struck.
The Little Red Lighthouse Festival is a family friendly event inspired by the classic children’s book, The
Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge. Authored by Hildegard H. Swift and illustrated by Lynd
Ward, the book was first released in 1942 by Harcourt, Inc. It tells the story of a small lighthouse located
under the span of the George Washington Bridge. As the bridge grows taller and taller, the lighthouse
fears its beacon will no longer be needed; the bridge explains that the lighthouse serves boats on the river
while the bridge flashes its light to the “ships of the sky.”
It is a bit of a trek to reach the lighthouse but festival visitors will be well rewarded with live music, food
and art vendors, fishing clinics and presentations by Urban Park Rangers – in addition to multiple
readings of the book - some in English, some in Spanish and some in both languages - by LINC
volunteers.
LINC is thrilled to be part of the 2022 Little Red Lighthouse Festival. Yocasta Capellan, LINC’s Parent
Engagement Specialist, enthused about the VIPs “No matter the weather our VIPs come out to share the
joy of reading together.” ”It’s so important that children have positive experiences with books and reading
before they start school,” commented Albania Jimenez, Senior Director of Family & Community
Mobilization. Both agreed on the special value of children hearing a story about a landmark right in their
own neighborhood, a story that involves a place they can actually visit.
Thank you to Summer on the Hudson and the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation for the opportunity to collaborate.
