The Great Big Book Festival

Save the Date!  November 7, 2026 for the The Great Big Book Festival at the Downtown Library from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.!  Don't miss this exciting new event with a robust line-up of free programming, an author panel, book signings, a selection of bookish vendors, and food trucks. Be sure to join us for our ticketed keynote event with best-selling author Ariel Lawhon, discussing her acclaimed historical fiction novel The Pirate Queen at 3:00 p.m.  The Pirate Queen is a sweeping historical adventure inspired by the life of Grace O'Malley, the legendary Irish folk heroine who risked everything to defend her people. 

Ariel Lawhon, author of The Frozen River is an award-winning, critically acclaimed, New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction.  Her books have been translated into over thirty languages and have been Good Morning America, LibraryReads, and One Book One County selections.  She lives in the rolling hills outside Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband and four sons.  Ariel splits her time between the grocery store and the baseball field. 

Purchase Tickets here for Ariel Lawhon. 

Stay tuned for event programming information. 

Authors, Artists, and Bookish Vendors invited to participate.  See the The Great Big Book Festival for vendor applications. 

This event is sponsored by the PROPST Family Foundation. 

For more information, please email GBBF@hmcpl.org

*The Downtown Library will be open for normal business hours during the festival.