BELFAST — Overcast skies and chilly spring weather did little to deter the bibliophiles who descended on Belfast in celebration of this year's Belfast Bound Book Festival.

Evidence of the festival could be seen throughout downtown, with a tent at one corner of the Main Street intersection, a children's reading corner on another, and a tiny library stationed outside of Alexia's Pizza.

The event, hosted by Our Town Belfast, in partnership with the Belfast Free Library and the Belfast Area Chamber of Commerce, returned to the downtown sidewalks after a two-year hiatus.

Many of the downtown businesses participated in the event, including all four book stores that call the area home — BellaBooks, Left Bank Books, Old Professor's Bookshop, and Nautical Scribe Books.

One of the sidewalk features was a tent set up for six different authors, who appeared two at a time, to meet (and make new) fans. In addition to learning more about the authors and getting their books signed, their respective works were also available to purchase.

On the outskirts of the downtown area, Waterfall Arts held a book sale with a steady stream of traffic from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to Deborah Stevenson, who volunteered at the event.

"We had a speaker here this morning holding a discussion, and there was standing room only," she said.

That event, which featured author Elizabeth Peavey, explored the differences between honesty and truth when writing memoirs.

While the discussion was free to attend, Peavey held a workshop afterward called "Learning to Tell Your Life Stories," which was sold out.

The Belfast Free Library offered a free demonstration on book conservation from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., held by Portland Public Library Archivist Abraham Schecter. Immediately following the demonstration the library hosted an artist's reception featuring the work of six local book artists.

The artists, whose work is featured in Kramer Gallery, work with books as a medium, creating works inspired by and created with books.

The Belfast Co-op hosted a community "Type-In" held by Tom Furrier, owner of Cambridge Typewriter Co. Inc., based in Cambridge, Mass. The event invited other typewriter enthusiasts to bring their typewriters, which were added to Furrier's extensive collection to form an impressive display.

Nearby, at Left Bank Books, it was standing room only as Maine's newly appointed Poet Laureate Stuart Kestenbaum read selected works from his new anthology. The event included seven poets from different parts of the mid-coast.

Other businesses that participated in the event include Front Street Pub, The Purple Baboon, Vinilio, Rollie’s Bar & Grill, and The Green Store.

Erica Thoms can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com