If there’s one event book lovers in Dripping Springs must catch, it’s the annual Texas Book Festival in Austin, Texas. Texans are lucky to have one of the biggest literary festivals in the country right here in the Lone Star State.
The festival’s mission is to connect authors and readers through events that celebrate literacy, ideas, and imagination with a vision to inspire Texans of all ages to love reading.
About the Texas Book Festival
Every year, more than 250 renowned authors descend into Austin to appear in one of more than 20 venues. It’s your chance to meet your favorite authors and other book lovers. The festival’s is packed over with more than 100 exhibitors, food trucks, and activities for the entire family.
The 24th annual event takes place over two days. On Saturday, October 26, it goes from 10 am to 5 pm. On Sunday, October 27, it runs from 11 am to 5 pm. Open to the public, the free event centers around the State Capitol.
The Texas Book Festival is a non-profit organization that produces this event as well as other literary events throughout the year. The organization supports literacy programs and gives grants to Texas public libraries. Attendees who donate more than $100 get a Festival Friends Pass. This pass for two guests offers priority seating and signing line access at specific venues.
Visit www.texasbookfestival.org to see a map, transportation options, schedule, and rules for the Capitol venue. Seating at all venues are available on a first come, first serve basis with Festival Friends Pass holders having priority seating.
Most importantly, here’s the author lineup. You can browse it by genre, audience, and type (fiction, nonfiction, and poetry).
Special Events
The First Edition Literary Gala event is already sold out for this year. However, you might want to go next year. The gala occurs on the Friday before the first day of the Texas Book Festival. It’s the festival’s main fundraiser and a black-tie celebration.
If you want to dress in your very best and rub elbows with literary dignitaries, be sure to watch www.texasbookfestival.org for a chance to sign up before it sells out.
Returning for the ninth year is Lit Crawl Austin and its irreverent literary programming. Located in the Red River Cultural District, you can enjoy an evening of games, trivia matches, storytelling, and performances. It’s free for anyone age 21 and up.
A few tips before you go to Lit Crawl Austin. Wear comfortable shoes and some of the venues will not have seating. Parking is not plentiful, so look for alternative transportation.
The Dripping Springs Community is only 20 miles from the Texas Book Festivals and the world of books. The great thing about living in Dripping Springs is that you can skip the expensive hotel stays in Austin and use the savings towards donations and food trucks at the festiv
