SAN ANTONIO — Award-winning and bestselling authors will be in the Alamo City for the 14th annual San Antonio Book Festival taking place this April.
San Antonians and visitors can attend the free festival Saturday, April 11 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Central Library and UTSA Southwest Campus in downtown San Antonio. Readers of all ages are welcome at the festival.
Authors
The authors attending the event were announced this week and feature over 110 local, regional and national authors. Renowned authors like Julia Alvarez George Saunders, Jeff Hiller, Megha Majumdar, Arnie Segovia will be in attendance. A full list of authors can be found here.
A new event to kickoff the festival weekend spotlights Jenna Bush Hager and her new publishing imprint, Thousand Voices, and its latest book, “Liar’s Dice,” by debut novelist Juliet Faithfull. This event will be held the evening of Thursday, April 9, at the Central Christian Church. Tickets to this event includes a signed copy of the book.
A wide array of authors from various genres along with a robust lineup of poets will be at the event. Book sales and signings will all happen at the Nowhere Bookshop tent.
“As we celebrate our 14th year, we’re thrilled to welcome the entire community to this free event in the heart of downtown San Antonio. Our lineup this year features a wonderful mix of local, regional, national, and international authors across many genres. There truly is something for everyone from creative memoirs to serious history, from poetry to cooking. On the fiction side there is every genre, including horror, mystery and thriller, romance and romantasy, and so many more.” said Lisa Ayres, executive director of the San Antonio Book Festival.
“We hear so much in the news about the decline in reading for pleasure, even as research continues to show its importance for both health and quality of life. Reading can help reduce stress, improve cognition, strengthen empathy, and sharpen critical thinking. We want to welcome both avid readers and those who hope to become avid readers to the festival. Come discover an author, find a new book to love, and reconnect with the joy of reading,” Ayres added.
Events
Visitors should expect a full day of author panel discussions, book signings, meet-and-greet of costumed children’s book characters, food trucks and more. There will also be a free performance by Magik Theatre and H-E-B will provide complimentary snacks. A detailed schedule of the festival will be available in mid-March.
Parking
On Saturday, it will cost $5 to park inside the Central Library garage – with no time limit for festivalgoers. Payment is due upon entry and only credit cards will be accepted. Attendants will not have cash on hand.
According to the SABF website, guests should arrive early to park in the Central Library parking garage, but should expect the area to fill up fast.
There will also be free parking options nearby, thanks to Baptist Health System. The free lots are listed below.
If the Central Library parking garage and the free lots are filled up, guests are welcome to use the downtown area’s various paid parking lots that surround the Central Library.
For a full list of parking options, click here.