In honor of the increasingly popular “Hunger Games” trilogy and the upcoming movie adaptation, the Westport Public Library will be holding its own simulation of the Hunger Games. The event will take place on March 9, and all students in grades six through 12 are eligible to sign up.

Tickets are priced as $18, but according to Bill Derry, the Assistant Director for Innovation and User Experience at the library, and one of the staff members in charge of the event, the ticket price is far less than the value of the fun that will be had. “It will be a little bit like a party,” said Derry. “There will be a lot of things for people to do, and prizes, too!”

There will be two live bands at the event, Disabled Time and Amplitude, who will both perform for 45 minutes. When the bands are not playing, there will be a DJ playing “Hunger Games-style music,” according to Staples volunteer, Matt Walton ’14. To keep the participants busy, they will be judged for almost everything they do, receiving points for costumes, games, and other activities. There will be a simulation of a “hunger games” in an arena, but “of course, we will not have people killing each other,” noted Derry. He added that all weapons that are part of one’s costume must be “friendly weapons.” “They can look good, but they can’t really work,” he stated.

When one registers, the individual will be told which “district” he or she will represent in the simulation. Just like in the real Hunger Games, there will be 12 districts. All points awarded to an individual will count towards the individual’s district’s total. “Even if you’re in a different district than your friend, you can still do all of the events together,” said Walton.

Additionally, there will be a survival skills area that simulates the Training Center from the “Hunger Games” books. Individuals will be able to test their rafting, boxing, and archery skills on video game consoles.

“The most exciting thing about this is that the library will be transformed for an evening. We want participants to experience the building not as a library, but as the Capitol and Arena,” said Jaina Lewis, Teen Services Librarian and organizer of the event.  Lewis added that over the five years of her employment at the Westport Public Library and approximately100 programs she has been involved in, the Hunger Games event will be, by far the biggest teen event yet.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            More information about the event is available at http://www.westportlibrary.org/events/tribute-hunger-games.