First Columbus Book Festival to feature more than 200 authors, family activities
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Columbus Metropolitan Library is continuing its 150th birthday celebration this weekend with a first-of-its-kind festival featuring more than 200 authors, books for sale, food vendors, family-friendly activities and more.
The Columbus Book Festival is welcoming guests from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday at the Main Library and Topiary Park in downtown for free entertainment, discussions and author talks. The two-day festival marks the cornerstone of the library's sesquicentennial celebrations, commemorating 150 years in central Ohio.
Attendees are invited to connect with more than 200 authors, including the weekend's five headliners, in the auditorium:
- Maggie Smith, author of "You Could Make This Place Beautiful," at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday.
- Prince Shakur, author of "When They Tell You To Be Good," at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
- Ali Hazelwood, author of "Love, Theoretically," at 4 p.m. on Saturday.
- Matthew Quirk, author of "The Night Agent," at noon on Sunday.
- Fonda Lee, author of "Untethered Sky," at 3 p.m. on Sunday.
In addition, the book festival will feature national and local authors from a variety of genres who will participate in panel discussions and sign books sold through the Official Festival Bookstore. View the full featured author schedule, categorized by location and genre, here.
Under the Indie Author Alley tent in Topiary Park, festival-goers will find nearly 100 independent authors from small press writers to self-published authors across a variety of genres, including adult fiction and nonfiction, young adult, middle grade and children's books. View the full list of Indie Author Alley exhibitors here.
Beyond books, the festival is home to food and drink vendors, including Colombian coffee from Cafe Graciela, burgers and fries from Flavor91 Bistro, tacos and burritos from Guelaguetza Mexican Street Food, macarons from Le Macaron French Pastries and smoothies from Oohwee Smoothie. View each vendor's full menu here.
Family-friendly activities will also be on-site across the festival, including a petting zoo at 10 a.m. on Saturday and at 11 a.m. on Sunday, face painting from 2 to 4 p.m. on both days, and crafts all day. View the full schedule of entertainment here.
Festival-goers can access free parking in the five-level garage attached to the Main Library and in multiple lots around Topiary Park. Learn more about the festival at the Main Library, 96 S. Grant Ave., and Topiary Park, 480 E. Town St., here.