The latest information from the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts
Baltimore Book Festival Is Here!
Don’t Miss April Ryan, Bill Whitaker, A.J. Jacobs,
Tim Junkin, Tayari Jones & More This Weekend! 
Celebrate the literary arts today through Sunday, September 30 from 11am to 7pm daily in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, from the Inner Harbor Amphitheater to Rash Field. Admission is 100 percent free and open to the public. The festival features 11 venues with celebrated national, regional and local authors, book readings and signings, panel discussions, exhibitors and booksellers, cooking demonstrations and samplings, workshops and live music, plus children’s activities and food.
Author & Programming Highlights
Baltimore Book Festival
Music Stage
Hear the melodic sounds of local and regional musicians as they perform alternative, hip hop, R&B, pop and world music on the Baltimore Book Festival Music Stage. Visit these performers & more:

  • BeMaeva, world, Saturday, September 29, 1pm

  • Scotty P & The Love From Above, reggae, Sunday, September 30, 2pm

  • ellen cherry, pop, Sunday, September 30 5pm


ellen cherry.
Photo credit: Bonnie J. Schupp.
Charm City Comic Pavilion
Curated by Artway Alliance, Charm City Comic Pavilion features artists who teach all ages of different artistic backgrounds how to create characters and stories during weekend workshops and discussions. Visit these artist-authors & more:

  • How to Draw Superhero’s and Villains with Duane Pearson, Saturday, September 29, 1:30pm

  • Composing Sequential Art for Comic Books with Colin Byrd, Saturday, September 29, 3pm

  • Comics in Culture: Crafting Social Issues in Storytelling with Jordan Clark, Sunday, September 30, 3pm

Colin Byrd.
Radical Bookfair Pavilion
The Radical Bookfair Pavilion presented by Red Emma’s Bookstore Coffeehouse celebrates 10 years at the festival with the influential voices of author- and poet-activists, artists and educators. Visit these writers & more:

  • Carol J. Adams, Protest Kitchen: Fight Injustice, Save the Planet, and Fuel Your Resistance One Meal at a Time, Saturday, September 29, 12pm

  • Charlene A. Carruthers, Unapologetic: A Black, Queer, and Feminist Mandate for Radical Movement, Saturday, September 29, 3pm 

  • Kondwani Fidel, Hummingbirds in the Trenches, Sunday, September 30, 3pm 

Charlene A. Carruthers.
Photo credit: Zakkiyyah Najeebah.
Booksellers, Exhibitors & Tablers
A Literary Wonderland
The Baltimore Book Festival features more than 100 booksellers, exhibitors and tablers. Visit self-published authors, bookstores, publishing companies, independent presses, writers’ associations and cultural organizations for a full literary experience. Participants are located at Bicentennial Plaza, as well as throughout the festival.
Staff Reads with Tracy Baskerville, Communications Director for BOPA
Q. What book are you currently reading?

A. I just finished reading the book Nothing Stays Buried by P.J. Tracy, and now I’m starting Monkeewrench by the same author. P.J. Tracy is a pseudonym for a mother/daughter duo. I received Nothing Stays Buried as a gift and really enjoyed it. I discovered the book is the latest release in a series, so now I’m going back to read first book in the series.

Q. Can you provide any tips for first-time attendees?

A. First-time Baltimore Book Festival attendees should be prepared to stay for a couple of hours. There is so much to do. From music to food to literary games, the festival is really a great place to spend the day.

Must-see Baltimore Book Festival Trailer
The Baltimore Book Festival is back, but for a limited-time only. To celebrate its return, the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts (BOPA) released a fun promo video. Don’t miss this trailer or this weekend’s activities!
Thank You Sponsors & Donors!
The Baltimore Book Festival is produced by the Baltimore Office of
Promotion & The Arts (BOPA), a 501 (c)(3) serving as the city's arts council,
events center and film office.