New to the site: The KPBS San Diego Book Festival returns Saturday, August 22, 2026 from 10am to 4pm on the University of San Diego campus, bringing together more than 145 local and national authors as speakers and exhibitors for its second year at USD.
The free, family-friendly event celebrates books, learning, and literacy with author panel discussions, a youth reading stage and exploration area, live entertainment, food trucks, and exhibitors including independent booksellers and local authors. Genres span children’s picture books, young adult, fantasy, romance, graphic novels, historical fiction, and horror, with romantasy, mystery, self-help, and parenting newly added for 2026, alongside an expanded footprint and larger kids’ activity space.
Headlining authors include Max Brallier, Christina Lauren, Chuck Tingle, and Claudette Zepeda, with additional authors announced weekly. General admission is free; some individual author sessions carry a nominal fee for reserved seating.
The festival is produced by KPBS and presented by the University of San Diego. For the full author lineup and schedule, visit kpbs.org/sdbookfestival.
