The 6th annual Maine Book Festival (formerly the Maine Authors Book Festival) will be held on Saturday, Aug. 23 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Thomaston Public Library, 60 Main St., Thomaston. The event is sponsored by Maine Authors Publishing! The “Maine Woods & Water” theme will focus on celebrating the natural beauty and outdoor heritage of Maine.

Maine Guides, Maine Game Wardens, Foresters, Park Rangers, and Outdoor Professionals are invited to wear their uniform and/or patches for a special prize and automatic entry into our raffle.

Meet over 100 talented authors from across Maine, representing a wide range of genres beyond the woods and water theme, ready to sign and sell their books. Complete list available from www.MaineBookFestival.com.

Local Thomaston restaurant Station 118 will have a customized menu for the event. FMI: www.station118.com. Based out of Searsport, Stone Fox Farm Creamery will have homemade ice cream for purchase. FMI: www.stonefoxfarmcreamery.com.

A portion of the proceeds from the book sales and all raffle ticket sales will be donated to the Thomaston Public Library.

Learn about Maine wildlife and conservation from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and Georges River Land Trust informational booths.

From 11:30 a.m.to 12:30 p.m., children’s author Patsy Baldus will present “Sunny Bear and the Secrets of Sunflowers.” Join author Patsy Baldus, along with Sunny Bear, an adorable teddy bear who hides in the garden, for a rollicking adventure in the world of sunflowers. Get ready for audience interactive play using rhyming vocabulary and a special chant to coax Sunny Bear out of hiding. A featured slideshow that kids can relate to enhances and reinforces the benefits and uses of sunflowers. Fun follow-up activities in the back of the book are perfect for parents, teachers, librarians, home schoolers, and community organizations. Kids should bring their favorite “stuffie” to celebrate Sunny Bear and the Secrets of Sunflowers!

From 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., author Kim Camery Millick will present “Outdoor Life at Work.” Being a game warden is the best job when it’s warm and sunny or when trees are in fall colors. Your office is the outdoors. But when a hunter is lost or a fisherman hasn’t come home, it’s now dark and cold and their families are calling for your help. You are a first responder, and your knowledge of the territory may save a life. As one of the first women to ever serve, Kim Millick had to prove she was capable. Woods and water have been Kim’s office since she started as a Wisconsin game warden before changing to forestry and working in Maine’s North Woods. She uses her experiences as a basis for her stories.

From 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., author Laurie Apgar Chandler will present “Inspired by the Northern Forest and Waterways.” Maine’s unforgettable forests and waterways have long inspired writers and storytellers. In Upwards and Through Woods & Waters, Laurie Chandler was honored to add her voice to this rich tradition. Her stories of two solo canoe journeys across these wild lands are part adventure, part celebration of the area’s history, abundant wildlife, people, and natural wonders.

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) preserves, protects, and enhances the inland fisheries and wildlife resources of the state. There are hundreds of different species of wildlife that can be found in Maine. Some elicit thoughts of compassion, while others give us pause. Meet with MDIFW staff to talk about wildlife misconceptions, wildlife ID, ways to live with wildlife, and even how to manage your landscape for wildlife. FMI: www.maine.gov/ifw

Georges River Land Trust has built its conservation program since 1987 through donations, sales, and conservation easements while helping generations of landowners think through what’s next for their land. They conserve ecologically important land that protects wetlands, wildlife, and traditional land uses while also prioritizing special places that are important for community access, recreation, and education. FMI: www.georgesriver.org

Returning to the festival for the second time, Don and Cindy Roy’s music is deeply rooted in two strains of Franco-American tradition: Quebecois (from Canada’s province of Quebec) and Acadian (from the Maritime provinces of Canada), both significant to the heritage of New England’s robust French-Canadian communities.

Maine Authors Publishing has been bringing local stores, readers, and writers together since 2009. As a cooperative-style publisher, their goal is to support local independent authors throughout the publishing process with affordable services such as editing, design, printing, a trade catalog, distribution, and marketing assistance. Only a percentage of books are accepted under the Maine Authors Publishing imprint after they have been vetted. For more information, visit www.MaineAuthorsPublishing.com.

The book festival will be held at the Thomaston Public Library, 6, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Parking will be available at the library and nearby (follow the parking signs). The festival is open to the public. Admission is free. For more information: www.MaineBookFestival.com.