Outdoor Fair/Literary Marketplace
Sunday May 7, 2023
(one-day only)

Exhibitors at the 2023 Outdoor Fair Maps

The festival’s free Outdoor Fair is a lively, immersive experience jam-packed with fun and exploration for festivalgoers of all ages and interests. The heart of Northern California’s largest weekend literary event beckons book lovers to meet favorite authors spanning myriad genres, discover new reads, catch live performances on four outdoor stages, relax and unwind in our outdoor reading lounge, and enjoy delectably fresh food sourced locally and priced reasonably to satisfy the foodie in all of us!

Nearly 150 exhibitors including acclaimed and emerging authors and thought leaders from all over the region, nation, and the world will be joined by an eclectic array of independent booksellers, local publishers, writing groups and programs, literary clubs and organizations, book artists, libraries, reading resources, and more.

Anchored by a 600-seat outdoor stage with prominent literary talent hosted by festival partner San Francisco Chronicle, the festival offers stage programming surrounded by a park full of on-site exhibitors. Three additional stages geared largely toward young readers add to the excitement: Young Readers Stage for middle grade and teens; Word Power Stage for all ages with special programming for teens and young adults; and Story Time Circle for youngsters.

Children and families can create their own books, design bookmarks with natural materials, make original art with found objects, join in a scavenger hunt, participate in story readings, pick up free children’s books, and many more hands-on activities in our robust Family Fun Zone ─ a great place for families to learn and have fun TOGETHER. Don’t miss the Lawrence Hall of Science “color chemistry” activity in Creativity (on Center) as part of a Sunday morning session with cartoonist Jon Chad, or stop by their booth anytime for fun STEM-focused activities. Keep your eyes open for that elusive Waldo—he’ll be doing what he does best (hiding) at the Berkeley Public Library.

Adjacent to the Downtown Berkeley BART station, a powerful slam poetry and music showcase will be held both Saturday and Sunday in BART Plaza sponsored by the Downtown Berkeley Association. Stay tuned for the full program ─ coming soon!

If you want to be an exhibitor for next year, make sure to sign up to our mailing list to stay up to date on when we open registrations for 2024!