Join us in a special presentation tent at Riverfest as we welcome local authors.
Riverside Chats moderated by Mary Katharine Froehlich.
Stone Soup Books will have books available for purchase and signing.
Friday, May 2 – Chat Partner: Waynesboro Public Library
2 PM: Riverfest Preview Chat @ Waynesboro Public Library. Turtle Turtle on the Wide Wide River book talk & activity. Come learn about river turtles and hear remotely from authors of Turtle Turtle on the Wide Wide River, Jane and Will Hillenbrand, on how their story came to be. There will also be a fun activity for kids and we will have a special turtle enthusiast on hand to answer questions and talk about turtles. Great fun for kids and families!
Will Hilldebrand
I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, where my family owned a barbershop. As a kid, I often walked to the shop in the summer and delivered my Dad’s hot lunch. Then, I would take a break and listen to the conversations. Many customers told “big fish” stories laced with humor and exaggeration. I enjoyed drawing those stories at the kitchen table when I returned home. Later, I went to art school, and after taking a class in picture book art, I decided to try illustrating children’s literature. After over 75 books, I still feel lucky to do what I love. I live with my wife, Jane, and son, Ian, in Terrace Park, Ohio.
Riverfest Chats Schedule: Saturday May 3, 2025
11:00 am: South River Flood Panel
Discussion of Historic & Current South River Flooding. Chat Partner: Waynesboro Heritage Museum. Facilitator: Mary Katharine Froehlich, Stone Soup Books
Come hear & ask questions about the history of South River flooding and its impact to Waynesboro residents, what the City of Waynesboro has done to mitigate flood damage & how we are prepared to face future super storms and flooding. Panelists include Waynesboro’s Director of Emergency Management & EMS Gary Critzer, civil/environmental engineer and past Chair of Stormwater & Flood Commission Urbie Nash & author/journalist Dale Brumfield who lived through many Waynesboro floods and whose father, James Brumfield documented through photos.
Dale M. Brumfield is a Richmond journalist and the author of 12 books, which include fiction, creative non-fiction, history and memoir. He is also a criminal justice reform advocate, and as field director ofVirginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty helped lead the charge in 2021 to abolish capitalpunishment in Virginia. Because of this achievement, Dale was awarded the Frederick Douglass Human Rights Award by the Southern Centre for Human Rights in Atlanta, and did a TED talk on Virginia’s death penalty, which can be seen on YouTube. Dale received his MFA in Creative Writing from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2015 with a concentration in fiction. Dale has won many writing awards since 2012 from the Virginia Press Association, and in 2015, Mary Washington University nominated his short story “Death Row Report” for a Pushcart Prize. He also has been twice nominated for best non-fiction by the Library of Virginia Literary Awards. A Waynesboro native, Dale now lives in Richmond.
Gary Critzer, Director of Emergency Management and EMS for the City -1990 to current. Coordinated preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation to major flooding in 1996 (January snowmelt and September Hurr Fran) and 2003 Hurr Isabel and several other near flood or minor flooding events. Also part of the response to the election day flood in November of 1985 as an EMS first responder/rescuer. Coordinated the hazard mitigation grant program for acquisition/demolition and elevation/flood proofing of multiple residential properties in the floodplain 1997-1998
Urbie Nash is a retired civil/environmental engineer with 45 years experience in the design, construction and operation of water, waste water, and ground water treatment systems. Working in the USDA’s Soil Conservation service, he helped to plan and construct flood prevention dams in the Shenandoah Valley. Following hurricane Camille in the fall of 1969, he worked in Nelson County restoring stream channels devastated by the flooding and saw firsthand what 30 inches of rainfall in eight hours can do. Urbie moved to the Shenandoah Valley in 1974, served as chairman of a stormwater and flood commission for Waynesboro and has been involved in many conservation projects along the South River.
1:00 pm: Turtle Tales; Discovering the Watery world of Terrapins w Eli Mackey, 12-year-old author & turtle enthusiast! Chat Partner: Waynesboro Public Library. Facilitator: Shefali Mehta, Virginia Herpetological Society
At just 12 years old, Eli Mackey is already making a name for himself as an author, speaker, and advocate for wildlife education from his home in Hampton Roads, Virginia. His passion for turtles has led him to write Turtle Tales; Discovering the Watery world of Terrapins. Hear him talk about his book & accompanying journal and what inspires him to learn more about turtles, our natural world and conservation. He will be joined in conversation with Shefali Mehta of the Virginia Herpetological Society. Books available for purchase and personalization.
2:30 pm Walk on the Wild Side w/ Nate Miller; author of Simply Sustainable Landscapes
Join author, educator and landscape architect Nate Miller on a short ‘Walk on the Wild Side’ along the South River where he will identify native plants & creatures. Nate is a Professor of Horticulture and Biology at Piedmont Community College and leads many local nature & wildflower walks. Through his book Simply Sustainable Landscapes and his work as a landscape architect he has helped many landowners with native, edible & historic landscaping. Q&A after the walk and books available for purchase and personalization.