Public Transport
Call it the Book Festival Express. BART brings you directly to Downtown Berkeley, right into the heart of the festival. Read your books en route rather than worry about traffic and parking. Check out BART’s Quick Planner. AC Transit also goes right to Downtown Berkeley, and it has a huge network. 511.org.
bicycle
The Berkeley Bike Station, 2023 Center St, 510-548-7433, is a safe and convenient place to park your bike. It is not staffed during the weekend, but you can access the BikeLink Secure Parking 24/7. You can find additional parking using the Bike Parking Map from the City of Berkeley
private vehicle
Parking will be available for all day custom rates for the weekend at:
Allston Way/Center Street Parking
AirGarage: $20/day flat fee
2061 Allston Way in Berkeley, CA (Allston Entrance will not be open on Sunday. Use Center Street entrance)
$15/all day weekend rates
2020 Kittredge Way
$25/maximum per day ($3/hr)
2025 Center Street Berkeley
Note that while parking is much better than it used to be, many people still prefer BART because the area around the festival is crowded. Here’s another idea if you want to drive. You could drive to a BART station near the festival, using their parking lot, then just BART in on the Richmond line (only 5-10 minutes to the fest). BART lots are free on weekends. From Marin, consider El Cerrito Plaza BART (huge lot) or North Berkeley (also lots of spaces); from the East Bay, there’s MacArthur (another big lot). Check out www.bart.gov for station choices.
Most important: If you’re set on driving, don’t let parking deter you. There are plenty of options.
ride share apps
If you are coming to the Festival and using a ride share service like Lyft or Uber, we have a designated drop off/pick up zone you can use:
- White Zone on Center St. @ Shattuck ( 2081 Center St. Berkeley)
LIST OF FESTIVAL VENUES
Friday, May 29
Headliners
| The Freight (Headliners) | 2020 Addison Street |
Saturday, May 30
YouthLit at Library, Writers’ Workshops, Democracy Dialogues, Headliners
| Berkeley Public Library, Teen Room (1st Floor) | 2090 Kittredge Street |
| Berkeley Public Library, Mystery Room (2nd Floor) | 2090 Kittredge Street |
| BPL Community Room Stage (3rd Floor) | 2090 Kittredge Street |
| Berkeley Public Library, Children’s Room (4th Floor) | 2090 Kittredge Street |
BPL Family Hands- on Activities Story Room (4th Floor) | 2090 Kittredge Street |
| The Brower Center (Writers’ Workshops) | 2150 Allston Way |
| The Freight (Democracy Day, Headliners) | 2020 Addison Street |
Sunday, May 31
Bookworm Block Party, Inside Ideas, Headliners
| The Freight | 2020 Addison Street |
| Bookworm Block Party | 2151 MLK Jr. Way |
| Poetry Stage | Harold Way and Allston |
| Poetry stage, Bart Plaza | Kittredge Ave @ Harold Way |
| Book Sales and Author Signings | The Marsh Berkeley, Brower Center, Hotel Shattuck Plaza, The Freight |
| The Marsh Berkeley | 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley |
| Brower Center | 2150 Allston Way, Berkeley |
| Hotel Shattuck Plaza | 2086 Allston Way, Berkeley |
| The Magnus | 2121 Allston Way, Berkeley |
| YouthLit Read Aloud Stage in the Park | MLK Jr. Park |
| YouthLit Read Aloud Stage in the Park | MLK Jr. Park |
| Chill Zone | MLK Jr. Park |
hotels & lodging in Berkeley
Narratives shape how we see the world. From immigration to climate action and economic justice, the stories we tell define our shared possibilities—or what we imagine to be unchangeable.
In these times, literature is a powerful force. It challenges norms, sparks dialogue, and fosters civil disagreement as we work toward a nation that lives up to its ideals. The Bay Area Book Festival (BABF) is a critical gathering space where authors, activists, and audiences confront today’s urgent issues and uplift marginalized voices, centering Black, brown, Indigenous, and queer writers.
