The Annual Family Reading Night will kickoff at 6 p.m. Nov. 18 in the Cultural Center with Brian Ellis of the Peoria Storytellers Guild.
The other events, all free of charge, include break out sessions from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Ellis will be telling stories for children of ages 10 through 15.
English instructor Brian Campbell will lead a discussion on the writings of Jimmy Buffet.
Dr. Daniel Guillory, English professor at Millikin University in Decatur, will discuss two of his works entitled: "Memory Train" and "Seeds of Change," about significant changes before and after World War II.
Phyllis Horst, a storyteller from Sycamore, will present stories for preschool and elementary school age children.
An open mic program will be led by English instructor Geoffrey Schmidt. Area residents can share poems, essays or stories that they have created.
Marianne Dzik, one of the organizers of the events, said the open mic program was very popular last year.
"We even had a teacher from a local high school bring her class, and they read as part of their class assignments."
Dzik said that although the sessions target certain age groups, anyone can attend any session. She said activities have been planned so parents can participate with their children.
"We really want this to be a family-oriented event," Dzik said.
Refreshments will be served between 7:30 and 8 p.m. in the cafeteria
A Book Fair will also be held from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the lobby. A selection of more than 150 books will be for sale at anywhere from 50-70% off the retail price.