A Drive Up the Highway: The Harrisburg Book Festival

With the coming of cooler weather comes the desire to curl up with a warm, fuzzy blanket, a good cup of coffee, and a brand-new book. Lucky for you, the Harrisburg Book Festival is just around the corner. Going on its 7th year, this event is the perfect place to fall in love with new authors, genres, and stories. Featuring an annual tent sale, award-winning authors, children’s illustrators, emerging novelists, and acclaimed historians, this festival truly is a compilation of the best and brightest the literary world has to offer. 

You may be thinking, “Well, that’s Harrisburg. This is Lancaster.” We promise you’re going to want to make a quick trip up the highway. Not only will this festival feature countless fantastic sessions and learning opportunities, but it’s directed by the Lancaster County born and raised Alex Brubaker. Charged with coordinating and marketing sponsorships as well as curating the author lineup, Alex plays a huge role in creating a hub for community members of all ages to come together and celebrate diverse literature.

If that’s not enough of a reason to visit, Lititz residents Jonathan Stutsman and Heather Fox will be featured at the event. This power couple of published authors recently won an award for their children’s book Llama Destroys the World which has its own storytime session during the festival presented by the authors themselves.

 The 3-day long festival has quite the schedule, featuring keynote sessions from authors like Alison Feeney (For the Love of Beer: Pennsylvania Breweries), New York Times bestselling Vashti Harrison (Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History and Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around the World), New York Times bestselling Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Imaginary Friend).

The festival itself is completely free and open to the public, including adult education and children’s storytime sessions. After listening to a speaker, be sure to stop by the outdoor tent sale, which will hold over 20,000 discounted books, both new and old.

Hosted by the Midtown Scholar Bookstore, the event is October 3-6. One of the nation’s most celebrated independent bookstores, Midtown holds thousands of books crossing every genre you can imagine. From new releases to used collections to rare finds, Midtown is dedicated to finding you the perfect book for that cool fall day we’re all craving.

For more details visit the Harrisburg Book Festival website. Thank you to Visit Hershey & Harrisburg for your support of the festival!