Children turn out in big numbers for LaSalle’s 2026 Tales on the Trail

Jena High School’s Guy Campbell Memorial Gymnasium was filled with young readers and their families on Saturday, Oct. 17, as the 2026 Tales on the Trail, “A Once Upon a Time” Family Literacy Event, drew a great turnout of children.

The free festival, held from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m., was designed for children ages 0-8. Every station was a chance to learn something new. Children built ramps and raced balls, played listening games, planted seeds, made arts and crafts, and tried out hands-on experiments. Plenty of little ones stopped to admire their freshly painted faces in the mirror. Families also lined up at the photo booths for family pictures to remember the day.

One of the biggest highlights came at the book tables. Children chose their favorites from a wide variety of high-quality books and took them home for free, with more than 1,000 books on hand for the event.

Each activity was led by a local group, giving children fun ways to build literacy skills while also giving parents and grandparents ideas to carry on the learning at home. Families with infants, toddlers and preschoolers could also register for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, which mails each enrolled child a free book every month until age 5.

The event is a grassroots community collaboration made possible through time and funding from the LaSalle Parish Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, Jena High School, Northwestern State University’s Child and Family Studies Program, the Louisiana Department of Health, the Louisiana Early Childhood Association and their many community partners. The Busy Bee Garden Club and the LaSalle Parish Ambulance Service also helped with the event.

For more information about Tales on the Trail, or to volunteer for future events, contact Dr. Debra Jo Hailey at (318) 554-9441.