By David Lee Simmons

For the AJC


The fourth annual AJC Decatur Book Festival continues to push the boundaries of its literary mission to the point where one could miss every author and still have a great time. There’s programming for curious kids, music aficionados, foodies, theater mavens and, yes, even wrestling fans.

For a complete schedule, visit www.decaturbook festival.com.

Children’s Parade

Until recently, Loren Long was known for his stunning children’s book illustrations that graced such works as the latest edition of Watty Piper’s “The Little Engine That Could” — a New York Times Best Seller in 2006. The two-time winner of the Golden Kite Award also gained fame for providing the illustrations for Madonna’s own best-selling 2003 children’s book, “Mr. Peabody’s Apples.”

Long has added writing to his repertoire, including 2008’s “Drummer Boy” holiday picture book. This year he penned and illustrated “Otis,” about the friendship between a calf and an endearing tractor. Loren will apply that theme to a children’s parade around downtown Decatur. Kids and parents are welcome.

The parade highlights several kid-friendly events at the festival — a “Mariachi Brunch and Promenade” at El Tesoro, a Georgia Shakespeare presentation of “Alice in Wonderland” and Several Dancers Core’s CORE Performance Company performing the song “Locomotion” for a fun grammar lesson.

Parade staging begins 9 a.m. Saturday; parade 9:30 a.m. Free admission. Start location: Fidelity Bank, 160 Clairemont Ave.

Literary Death Match

For years Abdullah the Butcher terrorized and delighted crowds — particularly those who tuned in to watch “Georgia Championship Wrestling” in the 1970s. These days, “The Madman from Sudan” greets visitors to his barbecue joint in southwest Atlanta but often comes out of retirement to apply his “Sudanese meat cleaver” move on those foolish enough to take him on.

Enter author Michael Muhammad Knight, whose provocative books and essays on Islam have polarized audiences worldwide. Knight’s trouble-stirring stunts have included wrestling matches, so it will be interesting to see if this upstart thirtysomething writer’s pen is mightier than the 68-year-old veteran grappler’s sword.

3 p.m. Saturday. Wrestling Ring (E. Trinity Place and N. McDonough Street).

Centennial Celebration of Eudora Welty

From 1992-1995, singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter had one of the hottest streaks of any country music artist. Fueled by her cover of Lucinda Williams’ “Passionate Kisses” and “He Thinks He’ll Keep Her” off the “Come On Come On” album, Carpenter won the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance an unprecedented four consecutive years. Carpenter will come together with fellow singer-songwriters Kate Campbell and Claire Holley and Atlanta’s own Caroline Herring for a 100th birthday celebration honoring the late Pulitzer Prize-winning author Eudora Welty.

8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets $25. Agnes Scott College, Presser Hall, 141 E. College Ave. Call 404-471-6430.

Southern Foodways Alliance Picnic and Concert

Don’t be fooled by the name. This picnic may be sponsored by the Oxford, Miss., organization that looks at the connection between food and the region, and it will feature some of the area’s top chefs. But it also will show how these Southern-based chefs interpret food through an international prism. Pura Vida — whose chef-owner, Hector Santiago, has been competing on TV’s “Top Chef” will present goat mofongo. Participating chefs will compete in a “picked okra” contest. Bluegrass duo Sweet AlizAbeth will perform at a free concert following the picnic, at Eddie’s Attic. Singer-songwriter Marshall Chapman and author Jill McCorkle will close out the evening with a concert of their own, also at Eddie’s Attic. (The two are featured performers in the “Good Ol’ Girls” revue of Southern roots music with a female perspective.)

Picnic 6 p.m. Sunday. $10 per plate. Decatur Square.

Marshall Chapman/Jill McCorkle performance 7:30 p.m. Tickets $20.

‘Storyville’ reading

For an Atlanta resident, crime novelist David Fulmer sure does spend a lot of time skulking around turn-of-the-century New Orleans. So much, in fact, that he’s converted his “Storyville” novels about the infamous red-light district of the city into a play. For this theatrical work, Fulmer will combine parts of the series that was in part inspired by Al Rose’s definitive 1978 book on the subject that featured interviews with the prostitutes, pimps, madams and hustlers of the day. Fulmer has partnered with the Alliance Theatre’s Joe Gfaller, who will direct and supply the reading’s cast. Question-and-answer session will follow.

5 p.m. Saturday. Old Courthouse Stage. Free. 18-plus only.