Plum Creek Festival endowment dinner features husband-wife duo

Best-selling author Carmen Deedy, along with her husband, Grammy-award nominee John McCutcheon, will entertain guests with storytelling at this year's endowment event to support children's literacy through Concordia University, Nebraska's annual Plum Creek Children's Literacy Festival. The event will take place in the Great Plains Ballroom in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's East Campus Union on Saturday, Oct. 9. The festivities begin at 5:30 p.m.

Deedy's award-winning books have drawn on the Cuban-born author's sense of humor and regard for Cuban folklore and family. She returns to the Plum Creek Festival after being a featured author last year. 

"After Carmen Deedy's brief presentation at last year's endowment dinner, attendees begged for more of her humorous and poignant stories," shared Vikki Gremmel, festival coordinator. "We are delighted to feature Carmen and her husband, John, at the endowment dinner."

McCutcheon is a folk musician whose thirty recordings have garnered seven Grammy nominations. He joins his wife to share their storytelling and musical talents.

In addition to Deedy and McCutcheon's presentation, festival authors and illustrators Patricia Polacco, Dan Gutman, Ashley Bryan, Sarah Weeks, Alyssa Satin Capucilli, Pat Shories, and Ralph Masiello will be on hand to entertain the audience.

The endowment evening also will include a dinner, autographed book sales and a silent auction that showcases many one-of-a-kind items donated by well-known authors, illustrators and artists. 

The event helps the festival stay on firm financial footing. Over the past 15 years the festival has grown from hosting 200 children to having nearly 9,000 children and adult attendees. 

Endowment event tickets are available online at www.cune.edu/PlumCreek. Reservations are due by Oct.8.   

Update: Deedy and McCutcheon will be featured in an interview with Jerry Johnston of NET radio airing at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 2, and rebroadcast at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 3. The interview will also be available in podcast at netnebraska.org/radio, with an extended version option.

See also: www.cune.edu/plumcreek