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AUSTIN (KXAN) — More than 250 authors and 40,000 book lovers will flock to downtown Austin this weekend for the Texas Book Festival, a nearly 30-year tradition in the Lone Star State.
This year’s festival runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday near the Texas Capitol and downtown, with free admission to guests. Tents will be stationed along 11th Street and Congress Avenue, with events planned at the following locations:
- Texas Capitol: 1100 Congress Ave.
- State Theatre: 719 Congress Ave.
- First Baptist Church: 901 Trinity St.
- First United Methodist Church: 1201 Lavaca St.
- Central Presbyterian Church: 200 E. Eighth St.
- The Contemporary Austin: 700 Congress Ave.
- Texas State Library and Archives Commission: 1201 Brazos St.
The festivities include author panels and book signings, along with two ticketed events that have already sold out for headliners Malcolm Gladwell and Matthew McConaughey.
The full schedule and author lineup are available online. Books will be available for purchasing in the sales and signing tent on 11th Street and Congress Avenue from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Road closures, parking
Some road closures on Congress Avenue are set to begin Thursday morning, while the remainder will close to the public Friday morning or evening. Here’s a look at the full road closures planned downtown.
Free parking will be available at numerous state parking garages on San Jacinto Boulevard between 12th and 16th Streets, per festival organizers. Accessible parking is also offered at the Capitol Visitors Parking Garage, located at 1201 San Jacinto Blvd.
Those seeking accommodations can contact the Texas Book Festival before the event by calling 512-477-4055 or emailing bookfest@texasbookfestival.org.
CapMetro is also partnering with the festival and offering free day passes to festival attendees, with 1,000 passes available. Those are distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis via this online form.
University of Texas at Austin students and riders under the age of 18 can take CapMetro for free. The transit authority’s Trip Planner tool is available for guests to plan their route to and from the festival.