Each year, the Texas Book festival offers book lovers an opportunity to attend panels, cooking demonstrations, family activities, and more all based on the common interest of reading.

According to a press release from the Texas Book Festival, this year's event will be held physically and virtually - AKA a hybrid event.

Due to COVID-19, last year's event was held entirely online, so this is exciting news.

Typically the event is held every year on the grounds of the Texas State Capitol and along Congress Avenue in Downtown Austin.

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The 2020 all Virtual Festival featured more than 175 authors, illustrators, poets, journalists, artists, and thought leaders, including Matthew McConaughey, David Chang, Dean Koontz, Kevin Kwan, Sigrid Nunez, Isabel Wilkerson, Natasha Trethewey, Erin Brockovich, Julia Alvarez, Michael J. Sandel, Ibi Zoboi, and more.

“The constraints and challenges last year only strengthened our resolve to reach readers in any and every way we could,” says TBF Executive Director Lois Kim. “We are proud that we were able to connect more than 75,000 people to authors through our 2020 virtual programming efforts and excited to use all that we learned about digital programming while welcoming people back to enjoy a safe, outdoor in-person Festival this year."

The virtual Texas Book Festival will kick off online October 25-October 28. The event is free and offers those near and far the opportunity to safely participate. Starting October 30, the outdoor sessions will begin in downtown Austin. In 2021, book enthusiasts can look forward to a terrific author lineup, timely and thoughtful panel topics, food trucks, a Saturday evening Lit Crawl, and more.

All attendees can sit in on sessions in outdoor tents and are welcome to visit the in-person and virtual Exhibitor Marketplace, which features book publishers both big and small, university presses, booksellers, independent authors, and an array of items for the literary shopper.

Founded in 1995 by former First Lady Laura Bush, Mary Margaret Farabee, and a group of volunteers, the nonprofit Texas Book Festival promotes the joys of reading and writing through its annual Festival Weekend, the Texas Teen Book Festival, the Reading Rock Stars Title I elementary school program, the Real Reads Title I middle and high school program, grants to Texas libraries, and year-round literary programming.

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