The Texas Book Festival will take place on Saturday, Nov. 5 and Sunday, Nov. 6 with tons of free, family fun for all ages! At this annual event, authors and book lovers take over the grounds of the Texas State Capitol to share the joy of reading. These two days are packed with hands-on kids activities, entertainment, food, book signings, story times, author sessions and a whole lot more. Plus, attending the fest is FREE!
–> Make Buttons with Us on Saturday! Do512 Family is very excited to be a media sponsor of this event, and we invite you to kick off the fest by joining us in the Children’s Activity Tent at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5. Stop by the tent to share what you love about Austin, and create a free button to wear that shows off your Austin pride.
You can browse the entire Festival Schedule on the Texas Book Festival website, but below we’re highlighting some events that sound super cool for families to check out.
Saturday Events & Activities:
–> Children’s Activity Tent:
- 12-12:45 p.m. — Fall Leaf Printing with Markers
Who doesn’t love collecting leaves in the fall? Create your own colorful tree and have a “Wonderfall” by turning them into a beautiful and unique masterpiece of your own! - 1-1:45 p.m. — Meet the Bow Wow Reading Dogs
Enjoy storytime with the Austin Dog Alliance! - 3-3:45 p.m. — What’s in your Great Big Backyard?
Laura Bush and Jenna Bush Hagar’s new story Our Big Backyard helps commemorate the 100th anniversary of America’s National Park Service. Get in touch with your outdoor side by crafting a scene of all the interesting things that are in your own backyard. - 4-4:45 p.m. — Create a Calavera!
Celebrate Dia de los Muertos by coloring or crafting your own paper calavera!
–> Read Me a Story Tent:
- 10:30-11 a.m. — Bestselling author and illustrator Yuyi Morales reads Rudas: Ninos Horrendous Hermanitas.
- 12:30-1 p.m. — Jon Scieszka and a top notch team of Bluebonnet super readers will announce the winners of the 2016 Texas Bluebonnet Awards!
- 2-2:30 p.m. — Andrea Beaty reads from Ada Twist, Scientist, Introduced by: Amanda Douglass’ 2nd Grade Students, Cedar Creek Elementar
- 4-4:30 p.m. — Steven Weinberg reads from You Must Be This Tall; Introduced by: Carolina Martinez’s 2nd Grade Students, T.A. Brown Elementary
–> Saturday Sessions:
- 11-11:45 a.m. — Hats Off to Jon Klassen
Caldecott Medalist Jon Klassen (I Want My Hat Back; Extra Yarn) is here with his sweet, beautiful new picture book, We Found A Hat, about what happens when two turtles find a hat—but only one hat—in the desert. Come tip a cap to one of our most beloved writers and illustrators! - 12:15-1 p.m. — All Hail the Hales!
The Hales are back with their dynamic hero, the Princess in Black! What happens when the busy, monster-battling Princess takes a vacation? What else? SEA MONSTER! Join Festival favorites and bestselling authors Shannon and Dean Hale as they embark upon another action-packed adventure. - 2:30-3:15 p.m. — Science is spelled S.C.I.E.S.Z.K.A
Clever science experiments and robot hijinks await as TBF MVP Jon Scieszka shares Frank Einstein and the Evoblaster Belt! Kid-genius Frank Einstein’s Evoblaster Belt zaps creatures from one species into another. We can’t promise you won’t leave this session as a rabbit, cat, beluga or chimpanzee, but we can promise you’ll have a blast! - 3:45-4:30 p.m. — Iron Man Eoin Colfer
What’s this? An all-new adventure featuring the Invincible Iron Man, told by the internationally bestselling author of the Artemis Fowl series, Eoin Colfer?! It’s true! Don’t miss author and performer extraordinaire Iron Man Eoin Colfer as he unveils this brand new super hero adventure!
Photo by Ashley Landis
Sunday Events & Activities:
–> Children’s Activity Tent:
- 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. — OUTSIDE VOICE Presents ARTtv Digital Photography Scavenger Hunt
Clear off some space on your camera phone and get ready for a fun-filled journey. Use hashtag #arttvtxbookfest when sharing images for a chance to win prizes and have your work featured on ARTtv. - 2-2:45 p.m. — Live Drawing with Jake Parker
Join children’s book illustrator Jake Parker (Little Bot and Sparrow) for a super fantastic, totally interactive live drawing event for kids! Bring your creativity and be prepared to have a blast!
–> Read Me a Story Tent:
- 11-11:30 a.m. — Varsha Bajaj reads from This Is Our Baby, Born Today
- 12-12:30 p.m. — Jake Parker reads from Little Bot and Sparrow
- 12:30-1 p.m. — Chris Barton reads from WOOSH!
- 2:30-3 p.m. — Jon Agee reads from Lion Lessons
- 3:00-3:30 p.m. — A.N. Kang reads from Papillon
- 3:30-4 p.m. — Minh Lee reads from Let Me Finish!
–> Sunday Sessions:
- 1:-1:45 p.m. — TEK LIFE
Put down that iPhone—no, we promise, it’ll be okay—and put your hands together for award-winning illustrator and creator of Mutts, Patrick McDonnell! He’s here with Tek: The Modern Cave Boy, a young readers’ tale that encourages us to let go of our gadgets and reconnect with the real world. - 12-12:45 p.m. — Fantastic Journeys!
Magic, danger and discovery await! Join Adam Gidwitz, Karen Cushman and Christina Soontornvat as they take us on epic quests through the fantastic lands of their latest middle grade novels. - 12 – 2:45 p.m. — H-E-B Read 3 Cupcake Challenge
The challenge to H-E-B Bakery Team Members—use a children’s book as inspiration for a cupcake/cake creation. Now, H-E-B’s top five teams vie for the Championship, designing confectionary delights inspired by the Festival’s children’s books. Attendees will help crown a “People’s Choice” winner and professional judges will declare who wins the Cupcake Championship. Decorating takes place from 12-2; Cupcake Challenge awards will be given at 2:30 p.m. Location: The Austin Club, 100 E 9th Street
–> 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 Twitter for news and updates.
We can’t wait to see you there!
