The 2026 Texas Book Festival will take place on November 14 and 15! At this annual event, authors and book lovers take over the grounds of the Texas State Capitol and along Congress Avenue to share the joy of reading. These two days are packed with hands-on kids’ activities, entertainment, food trucks, book signings, story times, author sessions, cooking demos, book vendors, and more. Plus, attending the fest is FREE and open to the public. While it’s certainly a great event for kids, the Festival features a wide range of topics, from politics to history, sports, music, and food. There’s something to appeal to everyone in the family.
Meet some of the 250+ authors appearing at this year’s festival, including plenty of favorites for young readers. Browse the 2026 Festival lineup to see who’s coming!
Where to Start? The event is so big that it can be intimidating to navigate, but you’ll find plenty of children’s and teen programming in the tents along Congress Avenue and around the Capitol. You can browse the entire Texas Book Festival Schedule on the Texas Book Festival website, but below we’re sharing some kid-focused highlights for you to check out.
Children’s Activity Tent
The Children’s Activity Tent is where illustrators and partner organizations host crafts, activities, and drawing demonstrations for kids ages 3 and up. There will also be an illustrator draw-off happening each day of the Festival, which sounds like a fun thing to watch!
Children’s Read Me A Story Tent
For the youngest readers, the Read Me A Story Tent will host 30-minute reading sessions with authors and illustrators. You can check the schedule here.
Next Chapter Tent
The Next Chapter Tent will showcase all middle-grade programming with authors of chapter books and graphic novels.
Camp TTBF YA HQ (Teen Texas Book Festival) is a tent space for kids 13+. Illustrators and partner organizations will host interactive programs, from upcycling activities to drawing demonstrations.
So Much More: This is just a small sample of what awaits at Texas Book Fest! Be sure to check out the official website for the full schedule of events as well as information about getting to the festival, parking, maps, food vendors, and more. You can also follow the Book Fest on Facebook and X for news and updates.
We can’t wait!
