Started in 1995 by UT alumna Laura W. Bush to promote the joy of reading, the Texas Book Festival draws in large crowds of book lovers and caters to all age groups. With 300 featured authors and 200 sessions scheduled, The Daily Texan gathered together key information on the festival to help bibliophiles maximize their time and formulate a game plan for the weekend.
When and where
The 28th annual festival will begin on Saturday and run through Sunday, with free admission on both days. The festival begins at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. on Sunday and ends at 5 p.m. on both days. Vendors and exhibitors located in tents fill up Congress Street between 11th and 8th streets.
What to bring
Attendees should bring an umbrella to stay as dry as possible along with some shoes they wouldn’t mind getting wet from the forecasted rain. It’ll also be a chilly weekend, so attendees should dress appropriately with sweaters or light jackets. Since the festival takes place all afternoon, it would also be wise to bring a portable charger.
Programs
The festival’s “headliners” include panels that cater to a wide range of audiences. These programs offer readers a chance to listen to authors discuss their books. Some programs may contain sensitive topics and may not be suitable for some attendees. See the TBF schedule for program times, locations and other information.
Signings
Book signings will occur in the “Signing” tent located on Congress Street. Signings may also occur at other venues and vary by author. Attendees should check the Author Lineup for times and locations.
Shopping
At TBF, attendees can purchase the books of all featured authors at the “Main Sales Tent” through Book People. For memorabilia, TBF also sells merchandise at the TBF store next to the book sales tent. Another thing to check out would be the vendors/exhibitors ranging from artists and book sellers within the “Exhibitor Tents” located on Congress Street. Beyond that, a food court is set up to fill up attendees’ appetites after all the book talk.
Lit Crawl 2023
The bibliophile version of a pub crawl, Lit Crawl takes place on Saturday, kicking off at Vintage Bookstore & Wine Bar at 5:30 p.m. The crawl occurs from 7-10 p.m. and will take place in East Austin at Vintage, Gin Bar, Daydreamer and Saddle Up. Each venue will host literary programs and games.
