Portland Book Festival celebrates the next generation of book lovers! We’ve got nonstop kid-friendly fun, from sing-alongs, storytimes, gift shopping, and more. Click here for a full schedule of festival events.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Kids Get in Free
Youth 17 & under (or students with a valid high school ID) enjoy free admission to Portland Book Festival! Passes are still required, so register and get free youth passes here.
A New Family-Friendly Venue
This year, the Festival has added a venue exclusively dedicated to kids and families. Welcome to The Judy Kafoury Center for Youth Arts, home of the Northwest Children’s Theater!
Best of all, The Judy allows us to expand our kids programming to THREE new stages. You can find The Judy at 1000 SW Broadway.
FESTIVAL DAY!
Saturday, November 4 is Portland Book Festival! Arrive early to snag a seat. Some highlights of the day include:
- 10:00 a.m. Wild West: Breena Bard & Rosanne Parry, moderated by Jonathan Hill
- 11:15 a.m. Other Worlds: Arnée Flores & Donna Barba Higuera, moderated by Michelle Ruiz Keil
- 2:00 p.m. How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney?: Mac Barnett & Jon Klassen, with an introduction from Emily Arrow
- 3:30 p.m. The First Cat in Space and the Soup of Doom: Mac Barnett & Shawn Harris, moderated by Sara Ortiz
- 4:15 p.m. Family Misadventure: Pedro Martín & Zachary Sterling, moderated by Aron Nels Steinke
And more!
SING-ALONG WITH EMILY ARROW
Emily Arrow is the Host with the Most!
The award-winning children’s musician and her ukulele return to the Portland Book Festival. Starting at 10:00 a.m., Emily will emcee storytimes in The Judy’s Family Cinema.
It’s all leading up to one final, rowdy, PBF-inspired sing-along in the cinema at 11:40 a.m.
See our full schedule of storytimes here!
ILLUSTRATOR DRAW-OFFS
Easels at the ready! Picture book and middle grade illustrators face off in live drawing competitions. The fierce contests kick off at 11:30 a.m. in The Judy’s Black Box. See our full schedule of illustrator events here!
And don’t miss Eoin Colfer, author of the Artemis Fowl series! Colfer will share his latest book, Juniper’s Christmas, and be in conversation with Oregon author Heidi Schulz. Catch this panel at 5:00 p.m. at the UCC venue. More info here.
WRITING CLASSES
Write Around Portland is offering not one, not two, but THREE workshops for teens and pre-teens.
- 10:00 a.m. Science Fiction & Fantasy
- 12:00 p.m. Fairy Tales and Fables
- 2:00 p.m. Poetry & Song Lyrics
It’s all happening in The Judy’s Studio classrooms. Pro-tip: Look for the yellow doors! More info to come.
MORE CLASSES FOR YOUNG ADULTS
Searching for even more writing workshops for grades 9-12? Head on over to the Rental Sales Gallery, directly behind the Art Museum on the corner of 10th and Jefferson. Pre-registration is required, but free with admission to the festival. Offerings include:
- 10:00 a.m. Writing Poetry from Art with Amy Minato
- 10:00 a.m. Ekphrastic Worldbuilding with Meaghan Loraas
- 11:45 a.m. Narrative and Social Justice Storytelling with Bruce Poinsette
For more young adult events, click here.
FESTIVAL ADMISSION
A few reminders about festival passes:
- Youth 17 and under and/or with high school ID get in free; but you do still need a pass as a wristband is required for entry to all stages. Get yours now.
- Swing by the advance box office at Portland’5 Centers for the Arts’ Antoinette Hatfield Hall (1111 SW Broadway) Tuesday, November 1 through Thursday, November 3 from 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. to pick up your wristband and skip the box office line on festival day.
- Day-of-passes and wristbands are available at The Judy’s Box Office (1000 SW Broadway) on Saturday, November 4 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
