Pooh’s Hundred Acre Wood Will Open at CALF 2026

Grab a pot of honey and your favorite Winnie-the-Pooh book written by A.A. Milne and plan your trip to the Hundred Acre Wood at the 14th Children’s Art + Literacy Festival! We are celebrating Pooh’s 100th anniversary and the art of the book’s original illustrator, Ernest H. Shepard, with four days of fun for the whole family June 11-14.

The National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature is launching the exhibition “A Journey Through the Hundred Acre Wood” in collaboration with CALF. This hands-on, experiential exhibition will feature original artwork by Shepard and other artists who have depicted Pooh over the decades.

A highlight of CALF will be the grand opening of Clear Fork Bank Storybook Garden and the debut of the Hundred Acre Wood with sculpture of Pooh and his eight best friends. This will bring our storybook sculpture collection to nearly 50 sculptures, the largest collection of its kind in the nation!

The Abilene Cultural Affairs Council plans the festival with the help of art organizations, generous sponsors and more than 500 volunteers.

More than 5,400 people from 165 Texas cities and 22 states attended last year’s CALF.

The festival kicks off Thursday, June 11, with Group Day for daycares and summer camps. Between 600 children are expected to attend Group Day who might otherwise not be able to come to the festival thanks to our generous sponsors.

The festival opens to the public Thursday afternoon with a costume contest followed by Winnie-the-Pooh’s 100th Birthday Party at the Abilene Convention Center. The fun includes the Kiwanis Club of Abilene’s Costume Character Meet and Greet, music, activities, a Winnie birthday card station, Top Reader recognition and performances by Ballet Folklorico de Alvaro Muñoz Academy. The free party is followed by the grand opening of the Clear Fork Bank Storybook Garden and Hundred Acre Wood. Meet NCCIL author and illustrator Faith Pray at “Sketch Winnie & Friends” at Paramount Theatre at 7 p.m. followed by a book signing.

A pass is required to attend Friday and Saturday events, which include dramatic readings of Winnie’s most popular book chapters at seven venues with art activities and costume characters. New entertainment this year includes interactive, bilingual musician Tío Tóto. Popular favorites that are back include Le Marionette Theater of Dallas with new Pooh characters, The Singing Zoologist, Kornpop the Clown’s balloon show, train rides, Abilene Philharmonic Instrument Petting Zoo, a new animal petting zoo and more! Friday and Saturday nights are CALF Movie Nights at Paramount.

Children collect up to 15 CALF buttons for their festival lanyards as they complete each activity. Wear your CALF pass Sunday and enter the zoo free and experience more CALF with book readings and animal encounters.

Register for CALF at www.abilenecalf.com. Thursday events are free. Passes for Friday and Saturday are $12 for children 3-12 (2 and under are free) and $17 for ages 13 and up through May 15. After that date, passes are $15 for  children and $20 for ages 13 and up.

Contributed By The Abilene Cultural Affairs Council