White tents are popping up along the University of Arizona mall and that can only mean one thing: the book fest is back.
The very cherished Tucson Festival of Books is set to return March 15-16 at the UA campus.
Renowned as one of the nation's premier literary festivals, the annual book celebration unites authors, readers and families for a weekend of literary exploration and community engagement.
Established in 2009, the festival has grown exponentially over the years. In its inaugural year, it welcomed around 50,000 attendees and featured approximately 450 authors.
By 2019, attendance had surged to an estimated 140,000, underscoring the festival's significant cultural impact. Despite challenges in recent years, including a virtual format amid the pandemic in 2021, the festival continues to thrive, drawing over 130,000 visitors in 2024, according to longtime volunteer Bill Finley.
“While the lure is the authors and the literature, the fact remains that we have over 100 vendors, so it's very much kind of like a Tucson festival midway,” Finley said. “We have entertainment stages, live music, we also have a food area and so much more for everyone to enjoy.”
The crowd looks over the stock on sale in the University of Arizona Bookstore tent, one of the largest dealer set-ups at the Tucson Festival of Books on the UA Mall on March 9, 2024.
What to expect in 2025
The 2025 festival, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., promises an array of engaging activities:
- Author panels and discussions: Interact with over 330 authors spanning various genres including fiction, non-fiction, children's literature and poetry.
- Children's and teen programming: Special sessions are tailored for younger audiences, fostering a love for reading and learning. Highlights include a storybook parade at 9 a.m. Saturday, a creativity corner from Children's Museum Tucson and performances by the Circus Academy of Tucson.
- Science City: This interactive area is where science and literature converge, featuring hands-on activities and demonstrations.
- Cultural exhibits: Explore diverse cultural displays, including the National Park Experience Pavilion, offering insights into national parks and Indigenous crafts.
- Entertainment: Enjoy live performances including music, dance and theatrical acts, enriching the festival atmosphere. Performances include Dry River Band, Lajkonik Polish Folk Ensemble and Las Azaleas, among many others.
- Food trucks: Order food from a slew of vendors. Think sandwiches from Beyond Bread, burgers from CowPig, pizza from Renee's and gelato from Frost.
- Exhibitors: Explore countless exhibitors throughout the festival grounds who will share resources, sell books and more.
Beyond its role as a literary hub, the festival is committed to enhancing literacy rates in Southern Arizona. Proceeds from the event benefit local literacy programs, with millions of dollars donated since its inception. This year, the festival continues its mission to support and promote literacy initiatives throughout the region, according to Finley.
Vince Miguel looks through comics in the Bookmans tent during the second day of the Tucson Festival of Books on the University of Arizona campus on March 5, 2023.
The Tucson Festival of Books invites visitors to explore the local literacy scene all while hearing from accomplished visiting publishers and authors. Most author panels and presentations are free but fill up quickly so looking at the schedule in advance is recommended, according to Finley.
“Only about one in five of the people who come to the book festival actually go to an author session. The rest of them are just doing stuff around the festival,” Finley said. “They're playing games in the children's area and they're going down to Science City and playing with snakes and doing random things around the grounds. A lot of them never come close to going into an author session, but they're there at the festival absorbing literacy culture and enjoying the community, which is awesome.”
Nationally recognized authors at the festival will include Maureen Dowd, a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for The New York Times; Pamela Prickett, the author of “The Unclaimed” which was recognized by organizations like NPR and The Atlantic; Craig Johnson, who is behind the “Longmire” mystery series that inspired a Netflix show; and Sandra Brown, the thriller author of 76 New York Times bestsellers.
Plenty of local authors will also be in attendance, from Jillian Cantor who has been at the festival 13 times to Sarah T. Dubb whose debut novel “Birding with Benefits” was featured on NPR's "2024 Books We Love." A full list of authors can be found on the Tucson Festival of Books website.
Science City and the Children and Teen section of the event are some of the most anticipated of the entire festival, Finley added. With the help of local partnerships, both sections are aiming to bring in more visitors this year.
“The children's part of our book festival is probably the most prestigious thing we do,” Finley said. “We have publishers who line up early to try to get their authors placed in the childrens’ and teens’ area of our book festival.”
The Tucson Festival of Books aims to highlight literacy across all levels and Finley looks forward to another successful year, hoping everyone who attends takes away a cherished memory from the festivities.
Colton Arviso gets his first try at playing a clarinet while trying out many of the instruments on hand at the Instrumental Music Center booth at the Tucson Festival of Books on the UA Mall on March 9, 2024.
Planning your visit
Admission to the Tucson Festival of Books is free, making it accessible to all.
The University of Arizona campus acts as a backdrop for the event, with ample parking and public transportation options available. Visitors can also explore nearby attractions, including on-campus museums, galleries and Main Gate Square for dining and shopping.
The Tucson Festival of Books even partners with local hotels for out-of-town visitors looking to enjoy the festival.
“I love seeing all the photos from the festival every year and there's just crowds and crowds of people with their families and I think that's really beautiful,” Finley said.
