GARDINER – Rumpusing! That’s the name for all the noise and fun that will be happening in downtown Gardiner on Saturday, Sept. 17. To kick off the full day of activities at the first annual “Reading Rumpus: Maine Children’s Book Festival” there will be a costume parade at 9 a.m.

Children and families are invited to dress up as their favorite children’s book characters and walk down Water Street along with Grand Marshal Donn Fendler. Fendler is known throughout Maine for his classic book, “Lost on a Mountain in Maine,” which tells of his harrowing experience being lost on Katahdin for nine days in 1939 as a 12-year-old.

Fendler will be one of the dozen featured Maine children’s book authors and illustrators presenting throughout the day. His question-and-answer session will be at Johnson Hall, 280 Water St., at 10 a.m.

Other authors and illustrators presenting throughout the day will include Lynn Plourde, who will lead children in dramatizations of some of her books; Allen Sockabasin, who will share his new Passamaquoddy book, “Thanks to the Animals”; Kathy Mallat, author-illustrator of numerous preschool books, including “Just Ducky”; and Matt Tavares, author-illustrator of “Mud Ball,” about the shortest homerun in professional baseball.

Others giving presentations will be Frances Bloxam, Jim Sollers, Melissa Sweet, Jennifer Richard Jacobson, Cathryn Falwell, Paul Janeczko, Connie Smith and Scott Nash. There will be three presentations each hour.

The presentations will be held in Johnson Hall, the Gardiner Public Library and Gardiner Congregational Church. Details on the presentations, times and locations can be found at the Web site, www.readingrumpus.org, or by calling Gardiner Main Street at 582-3100.

There will be several activities throughout the day, such as face painting, family music, old-fashioned games on the common, creating songs with Martin Swinger and creating collage pictures with Cathryn Falwell. A Book Hunt will be held in the downtown area in which children will locate children’s books in storefronts and be eligible to win free books.

The festival will culminate with 4 and 7 p.m. performances at Johnson Hall by Open Book Players. The players will give readers theater performances of books by all 12 featured authors and illustrators. The charge is $5 a person. Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling 582-3100.