Boston is turning the page on autumn with one of its most beloved traditions: the Boston Book Festival returns to Copley Square on Saturday, October 17, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. — and every session is completely free.
Celebrating its 18th year, the festival gathers more than 200 authors for over 80 sessions across the Back Bay’s most beautiful venues, including the Boston Public Library, Old South Church, Trinity Church, the Goethe-Institut and the Church of the Covenant. Headliners this year include bestselling novelists Alice Hoffman, Tom Perrotta and Tess Gerritsen, beloved children’s author Elizabeth Lim, nonfiction voices like Sherry Turkle, Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, Howard Bryant and Manoush Zomorodi, plus award-winning young adult writers Renée Watson, Jasmine Guillory, Meg Medina and Claribel A. Ortega.
The day opens with a spirited kids’ costume parade and continues with lively conversations, read-alouds, book signings and a bustling outdoor fair with more than 60 exhibitors — from award-winning small presses to a colorful kids’ zone and a buzzing coffee tent. Little ones can hunt for stories at the Passport to Imagination scavenger hunt while grown-ups discover their next favorite read.
The weekend actually kicks off Friday, October 16, with a ticketed opening-night conversation between Michael Lewis and Pulitzer Prize winner Geraldine Brooks — and wraps Saturday evening with “Poems & Pints,” a gathering of poetry and good company hosted with Mass Poetry. Rain or shine, the festival is free and open to all: bring the family, bring your curiosity, and fall in love with reading all over again.
Photo: Eric Friedebach, via Wikimedia Commons
