What to know about the Texas Book Fest 2022 in Austin

After 2020's pandemic cancellation and 2021's hybrid online/in-person event, the Texas Book Festival returns in full force for 2022 this weekend in and around the Capitol. Here's what to know about attending the fest, which gathered book lovers in the capital city for the first time in 1996.

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When is the Texas Book Festival?

The fest proper is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 5-6 (don't forget that time rolls back when Daylight Savings ends overnight Sunday).

Where is the Texas Book Festival?

The festival takes over the Capitol building and extension rooms, 1100 Congress Ave., and there will be tents nearby.

Food trucks, exhibitor tents and program tents will be on Congress Avenue between Seventh and 11th streets, and on 11th Street between Colorado and Brazos streets. (Congress Avenue and 11th Street will be closed to traffic.) Events also fill surrounding venues: First Baptist Church, 901 Trinity St.; First United Methodist Church, 1201 Lavaca St.; Central Presbyterian Church, 200 E. Eighth St.; Stateside at the Paramount, 719 Congress Ave.; and The Contemporary Austin, 700 Congress Ave.

See the full festival map on the book fest website: www.texasbookfestival.org.

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Who is appearing at the Texas Book Festival?

As always, the lineup is filled with writers well-known and on the rise, and includes some people famous outside the bookstore. Some highlights:

Omar Epps, the award-winning actor whom you might know from "House," will present his new Y.A. Afrofuturist novel, "Nubia: The Awakening." Country singer Margo Price, a frequent visitor to town (and frequent guest of Willie Nelson), will debut her memoir, "Maybe We'll Make It." Celebrity chef and 16-time James Beard Award winner Jacque Pépin is bringing "Jacques Pépin Art of the Chicken," a new book of recipes, stories and the chef's paintings.

Mystery author Janet Evanovich, who's penned 42 New York Times bestsellers, has a new Stephanie Plum series novel called "Going Rogue" to share with Texas Book Festival attendees. She'll be joined on the lineup of almost 300 authors by Angie Cruz with "How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water," Anand Giridharadas with "The Persuaders," Gabino Iglesias with "The Devil Takes You Home" and Rebecca Roanhorse with "Tread of Angels."

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Local luminaries include Tiff's Treats founders Leon and Tiffany Chen, Amanda Eyre Ward (also a Statesman contributor), May Cobb and Evan Griffith, plus plenty of other Texas writers, like Robert Draper, Simran Jeet Singh, LaToya Watkins, Will Hurd, Amy Kim Kibuishi, Lise Olsen, Sandra Brown and Natalia Sylvester.

See the full lineup and schedule on the fest's website.

How do I attend? Is it all free?

Sessions and events are free and open to the public, no registration or RSVP required.

You can buy tickets for three author appearances: Janet Evanovich, Nelson DeMille and Jacques Pépin. Ticketholders get priority seating, signing and a book.

People who make an annual donation of $100 or more get a Festival Friends pass, which also comes with priority seating and signing at some sessions (see the list on the fest's website).

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Where can I park?

State parking garages on San Jacinto Boulevard and 15th Street are free for festival attendees. People also are encouraged to ride Cap Metro transit, and bike parking is available (again, see the fest's website). If you need accessible parking, go to the Capitol Visitors Parking Garage at 1201 San Jacinto Blvd. For special accommodations, fest organizers can be contacted before the fest at 512-477-4055 or bookfest@texasbookfestival.org.

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How much time should I allow to get from session to session?

Really, this depends on your schedule. You might be making choices about whether you want to rush from the Capitol to a tent and back. You might want to arrive early if there is must-see author on your list, and miss some other choices. Popular sessions can fill up fast.

Is the Lit Crawl happening?

It sure is, from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Saturday at venues in East Austin. Fest organizers describe it as "irreverent literary programming." Venues include Easy Tiger, Hillside Farmacy, Saddle Up and Vintage Bookstore and Wine Bar. The full schedule of what's happening and where is, you guessed it, on the fest's website.

What else is happening downtown this weekend?

November brings some of Austin and Central Texas' best weather, and a lot is happening. The Austin Food and Wine Festival is Saturday and Sunday at Vic Mathias Auditorium Shores. The Dia de los Muertos festival is Saturday at Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center.

It's a big weekend downtown and elsewhere. Read our roundup of the many events happening this weekend.

Austin360 editor Eric Webb contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: What to know about the free Texas Book Fest, parking and lineup