2025 Bay Area Book Festival in Downtown Berkeley (May 31 – June 1)
Downtown Berkeley | Downtown Berkeley, CA
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2025 Bay Area Book Festival in Downtown Berkeley (May 31 – June 1)
The Bay Area Book Festival returns May 31 – June 1, 2025 with four headliner events, eight Writers’ Workshops, a lively outdoor fair/block party, and six indoor stages packed with top-notch programming in Downtown Berkeley.
- Saturday, May 31: Family Day, Writers’ Workshops, Democracy Dialogues, Two Evening Headliners
- Sunday, June 1: Bookworm Block Party, Six Indoor Stages, Two Evening Headliners
The festival’s ever-popular Family Day returns on Saturday, May 31, at the downtown branch of the Berkeley Public Library Central branch. Family Day will again be filled with readings, panels, discussions, and interactive fun featuring the most exciting and engaging names in young people’s literature.
Bay Area Book Festival 2025
Saturday & Sunday, May 31-June 1, 2025
MLK, Jr. Civic Center Park and Various Venues in Downtown Berkeley
FREE – Daytime festival is free and open to the public (headliner evening events are $20)Schedule | Speakers | Exhibitors | FAQ
- Saturday – Writer’s Day (11a-5p) Berkeley Public Library, 3rd floor, Community Meeting Room
- Sunday – Outdoor Fair (11a-5p) at Civic Center Park + Freight & Salvage author events
Saturday, May 31, 2025
Family Day 2025
Saturday, May 31, 2025, 10:30 am – 5:00 pm
Berkeley Public Library Central Branch, 2090 Kittredge Street, Berkeley
The festival’s ever-popular Family Day returns on Saturday, May 31, at the downtown branch of the Berkeley Public Library. Family Day will again be filled with readings, panels, discussions, and interactive fun featuring the most exciting and engaging names in young people’s literature. New this year: Family Day is being co-presented in partnership with the Social Justice Children’s Book Fair!
Writers’ Workshops
Saturday, May 31, 2025, 11:00 am — 4:00 pm
The Marsh Berkeley Cabaret and Theater
2120 Allston Way, Berkeley, CA 94704
We are holding two workshops every hour in two rooms at the Marsh for a total of eight workshops throughout the day.
Aspiring and practicing writers —join us at any (or all) of the free eight wonderful writing workshops to write and learn about writing (in) community. This is booked quickly so RSVP as soon as you can RSVP through the schedule.
Democracy Dialogues
Saturday, May 31, 2025, 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Freight & Salvage, 2020 Addison Street,Berkeley
We have carefully curated a rich program for you to showcase important subjects and amazing authors.
• Panels, Interviews, Readings
• Critical Conversations with Top Authors, Thought Leaders
• Author Q&A and Book Signings
You will find these events in our schedule
Sunday, June 1, 2025
Bookworm Block Party 2025
June, 1, 2025
Bookworm Block Party will be centered on (and in the streets) surrounding Allston Way in Downtown Berkeley.
FREE
Taking place Sunday, June 1, this year’s outdoor fair – now Bookworm Block Party – is a lively, immersive experience jam-packed with fun and exploration for festival attendees of all ages and interests. The heart of Northern California’s largest weekend literary event beckons book lovers to meet favorite authors spanning myriad genres, discover new reads, catch live presentations on three outdoor and six indoor stages, spend quality time with the kids in our interactive Family Fun Zone hosted by Oakland-based Collective Book Studio, and enjoy delicious eats from local food trucks and myriad downtown Berkeley brick & mortar establishments!
Nearly 150 literary-themed exhibitors–including emerging authors and thought leaders–will be joined by an eclectic array of independent booksellers, local publishers, writing groups and programs, literary clubs and organizations, book artists, libraries, reading resources, and more. New this year: Small Press Alley featuring top notch presses from around the country. Also new this year: Health in Community Row highlighting local service providers, sponsored by the Black Arts Movement Business District Community Development Corporation of Oakland (BAMBCDC).
Inside Ideas 2025
Sunday, June 1, 2025 | 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
FREE
2025 Schedule
Venues:
- The Marsh Berkeley, 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley
- Freight & Salvage, 2020 Addison St, Berkeley
- The Brower Center, 2150 Allston Way, Berkeley
- Hotel Shattuck Plaza, 2086 Allston Way, Berkeley
Our six indoor stages will feature raucous romps through some of the most pressing issues of today while also transporting us to potential alternative worlds. Speculative fiction meets migration and resettlement meets art as radical practice—there will be no shortage of breathtaking discussions.
Our Native California stage, presented by the Federation of Graton Rancheria, will have five panels featuring Native American voices.
Essay discussions, Latinx horror, gaps in health care, decolonizing wealth, mystery, romantasy, and tech—there is truly something for everyone this year. Over 28 panels to choose from on our indoor stages.
Free and open to the public. Come—and bring a friend or two!
Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.
Cost: FREE*
