About the Festival
Immanuel College, Adelaide, in collaboration with Immanuel Primary School, is proud to present ‘Once Upon a Festival’ for South Australian school students to be held on campus from 29 – 30 October 2026. This will be the sixth year of the Festival after the inaugural event was held in 2020.
Our vision is to generate a lifelong love of literature by providing an affordable educational festival for young people in South Australia.
The Festival will provide a unique opportunity for students and educators to meet and learn from some of Australia’s most established and emerging writers and illustrators. Once Upon a Festival is targeted at school students from Years 3 –11 (aged 8 – 17 years).
The aim of the Festival is to inspire young people to enjoy the world of reading, writing and drawing through their experiences at the Festival. We hope that this annual Festival will deliver benefits to the students and the wider community.
The Immanuel College Board, its academic staff, parents, and current students have embraced the concept with enthusiasm; they perceive the Festival as a way to enrich the cultural life of the school and its extended community. It is also hoped that the Festival will open young minds to the fascinating world of literature.
I am personally excited by the challenge ahead and for the opportunities that this Festival presents.
Dr Kylie Booker
Festival Director
Once Upon a Festival is a Literature Festival for South Australian Children & Youth