Columbus Book Festival Brings 120+ Authors Downtown July 11-12 With Free Admission

The Columbus Book Festival returns to downtown this weekend, July 11-12. The free two-day event takes over the Main Library at 96 S. Grant Ave. and Topiary Park next door. More than 120 national and local authors will hold talks, panels, and book signings, according to the Columbus Metropolitan Library.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Entry is free. The festival site notes that some headliner author talks are ticketed separately, so check before you go.

Five big-name headliners

The library announced five headline authors for this year's festival. Kimberle Williams Crenshaw brings her memoir Backtalker: An American Memoir. Laura Dave presents The First Time I Saw Him. TJ Klune brings We Burned So Bright. Horror writer Paul Tremblay presents Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep. Lisa See rounds out the list with Daughters of the Sun and Moon.

Four local bookstores will run the official festival bookstore. The Book Loft, Cover to Cover, Gramercy Books, and Prologue Bookshop will handle all book sales.

More than 100 indie authors in the park

Out in Topiary Park, the Indie Author Alley tent hosts more than 100 independent creators, small press writers, and self-published authors. Visitors will also find new and used books for sale, plus retail and nonprofit exhibitors. New this year: beer and seltzer sales, and a bigger food court with more local food trucks.

The library first held the festival in 2023 to mark its 150th birthday.

Getting there and parking

Parking is free in the Main Library's attached five-level garage. Free surface lots sit around Topiary Park, marked with Free Book Festival Parking signs. COTA bus lines 10 and 11 stop at the library. Downtown paid lots are a backup if the free spots fill up.

Why it matters for downtown

Big free events like this one pull thousands of people into the Discovery District, the downtown blocks around the library and park. That foot traffic helps nearby restaurants and shops. It also shows off one of downtown's best green spaces to people who may not visit often. Strong weekend crowds are one more sign of demand for living near the core of the city. You can follow downtown news at /areas/downtown-columbus.

The takeaway: block out a few hours this Saturday or Sunday. Admission is free, parking is free, and more than 120 authors will be a short walk apart. Check the festival schedule online before you go, since a few headliner talks need tickets.