How to Attend the National Book Festival

This weekend, I attended the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. for the first time. Along the way, I picked up tips on how to make it easier next time.

These tips can apply to similar author events as well.

The 2023 National Book Festival at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. (Source: Photo by the author.)

What Is the National Book Festival?

The National Book Festival is a yearly event run by the Library of Congress. In 2001, it was founded by former First Lady Laura Bush (a librarian) and the 13th Librarian of Congress, James H. Billington. The first one hosted between 25,000 and 30,000 attendees.

Since 2014, with attendance soaring to as many as 200,000 people, the National Book Festival has been held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

The National Book Festival is huge, busy, and overwhelming. Read up on the event. Learn from what I did right, and most important of all, learn from what I did wrong.

1. Wear Sensible Shoes.

This one is obvious, but I’m stating it anyway just in case you’re tempted to break it. You’ll be walking from one event to another. If you want signed books, you’ll be in line a lot.