Come for the authors – stay for the fun!

Celebrating a Community of Book Lovers

Saturday

JULY 12, 2025
10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Sunday

JULY 13, 2025
10 a.m.-5 p.m.

MAIN LIBRARY | 96 S. Grant Ave.
Topiary Park

THANK YOU!

Thousands of book lovers joined us for our third Columbus Book Festival on July 12-13, 2025. The literary love shown to our authors, retailers, creative writers, exhibitors, entertainers and book sellers was simply amazing.

We’ll see you next year! Watch here for dates to be announced.

The Columbus Book Festival is in the heart of the city’s downtown Discovery District.

The two-day event featuring 200+ national and local authors, dozens of exhibitors, an entertainment lineup and more will showcase Columbus Metropolitan Library’s historic Main Library, the adjacent Kaufman Plaza and Topiary Park.

Author lineup will be announced in mid-April.

FREE TWO-DAY BOOK FEST IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN COLUMBUS

Book Lovers Unite!

The 2025 Columbus Book Festival will feature a whole new lineup of 200+ national and Columbus-based authors, panel discussions, author talks, book signings and more!

The Festival Marketplace will brim with dozens of bookish retailers, community exhibitors, an entertainment lineup, local food court and the popular Indie Author Alley pavilion and Friends of the Library Big Book Sale tent.

As always, this event is free and open to all book lovers.

FREE TWO-DAY BOOK FEST IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN COLUMBUS

Watch this space for any schedule changes or updates to what’s happening this weekend.

SCHEDULE UPDATES

Featured Authors Not Attending

Miriam Gershow
Taylor Keen
Kaira Rouda

Indie Author Exhibitor Not Attending

Michelle Leigh Miller
Eliot Parker

Victoria Christopher Murray Schedule Update

Sunday, July 13 at 10:30 a.m.
Victoria Christopher Murray
Virtual Video Call

Due to weather-related flight delays, Victoria Christopher Murray is unable to join the festival in person for her Headliner Talk. Instead, she will present virtually in the Auditorium. Ticketed attendees will still enter the Auditorium first. Standby lines for entry still apply.

Book sales will take place in the Auditorium as scheduled. But there will be no book signing after the session ends.

Matt Dinniman Schedule Update

10 a.m.
Library opens. Line for Matt Dinniman signing begins on the 3rd floor. Festival staff will direct the line.

10:30-11:30 a.m.

Panel: Choose Your Own Adventure
Author Stage 2 (outdoor)
First-come, first served beginning no earlier than 9 a.m.

11:45 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Matt Dinniman signing on the 3rd floor. One book per person.

3 p.m.
Matt Dinniman will not participate in the Author Speed Matching session.

Matt Dinniman’s Sunday book signing will be open to all: first come, first served. The line for Matt’s signing will form on the third floor when the library opens at 10 a.m. Matt will begin signing after finishing the 10:30-11:30 a.m. outdoor panel session and will sign until 3:30 p.m. One book per person.

Attendees of the Choose Your Own Adventure panel with Matt, Rebecca Thorne and Nicole Collier may join the signing line after the panel ends. Panel attendees will not have priority for this signing, (e.g., signing tokens for entry, etc.)

Instead of joining the Author Speed Matching session at 3 p.m., Matt will continue signing for fans.

Parking & Transportation Information

TRANSPORTATION

Getting to the Columbus Book Festival is a breeze with COTA! Hop on Line 10 or 11 for a direct ride to the Main Library.
Not near a COTA stop? No problem! You can drive to a Park and Ride location, leave your car in the lot and let COTA do the driving downtown.
Sit back, relax and enjoy a good book while you ride! Enjoy free Wi-Fi, e-books, audiobooks and more with COTA’s Read and Ride program.

PARKING (Public Parking Map)

Main Library’s 5-level attached parking garage has free event parking.
Multiple surface lots surrounding Topiary Park will be free during the festival thanks to Discovery District businesses. Look for Free Book Festival Parking signs.
There are many paid surface lots, parking garages and metered street parking options downtown.