Clunes Booktown Festival will celebrate its 20th anniversary on 21-22 March 2026 with an action-packed Kids Village program that will have children flapping, clucking, drawing, parading and playing their way through the weekend. This year’s theme is birds, and the Kids Village is set to take flight with a flock of beloved authors, illustrators, puppet makers and storytellers.

From pigeons that fight crime to magical creatures from the deep, the 2026 kids program offers something for every young reader and their family – with free drop-in workshops, storytime sessions, puppet making and a joyous parade through the festival precinct.

Creative Director Suzi Cordell says the Kids Village is one of the Festival’s most beloved traditions.  

“We want every child who comes to Clunes to leave with a spark – whether that’s a new favourite book, a bird puppet they made themselves, the memory of marching in a parade or the joy of the hay bale maze,” Suzi said.

Kids Village highlights at Clunes Booktown Festival 2026 include: 

  • Now I Am A Chicken Storytime — Author Andrew McDonald and illustrator Ben Wood invite young readers to FLAP and CLUCK at a storytime for their brand-new picture book.
  • Real Pigeons Stories and Activity — McDonald and Wood return with a very COO session celebrating their bestselling Real Pigeons series, including a preview of Real Pigeons Bin Baddies and a chance for kids to write, draw and coo.
  • Birds of Booktown Puppet Workshop — Veteran puppet maker Ken Evans and artist Darryl Cordell guide kids through cutting, sticking and decorating their very own rod puppet bird, ready to soar in the Parade of the Birds.
  • Inventing Magical Creatures with Amelia Mellor — Author Amelia Mellor unlocks the strange history of zoology and the human imagination, sharing what inspired her new Oceanforged series and helping kids conjure their own mythical beasts.
  • Storytime with Sofie Laguna — Award-winning children’s writer Sofie Laguna reads from her latest picture book The Last Egg, a warm and joyful celebration of love and kindness in the face of adversity.
  • Family Games with Jack Henseleit — Children’s author Jack Henseleit leads a no-screens celebration of oldschool playground games — thimble hunts, squirrel nuts, backyard boules and maybe even prizes.
  • Draw-Along with Ben Sanders — Picture book creator Ben Sanders teaches kids to draw characters from his hilarious new book It’s Not My Cookie, plus Bad Apple and Agent Harrier, before letting imaginations run wild.
  • Playing with Words with Christy Flaws & Ailsa Wild — Asking for Trouble’s Christy Flaws and author Ailsa Wild host a hands-on space where kids and families can build, squash, bend and wriggle language until something brilliant comes out.
  • Tiny Bird Workshop at Wesley@Clunes — Kids are invited to sculpt their favourite bird — pigeon, parakeet or something entirely new — and choose to add it to the Booktown Bird Tree or fly it home.

The Kids Village is part of a wider program featuring more than 130 book stalls, author talks, workshops, the iconic Hay Bale Maze, and free live music across the weekend. Festival entry is $15 (covering both Saturday and Sunday), with free entry for locals and children under 16. 

Clunes Booktown Festival runs 21-22 March 2026. More information can be found at the Clunes Booktown Festival website.