Detroit Bookfest Returns for Ninth Year
| For Immediate Release: | May 8 2026 |
| Contacts: | Ryan M. Place: ryan@detroitbookfest.com; Alyce Hartman: hello@birdiesbookmobile.org |
Michigan’s largest book festival is delighted to announce its return to Detroit’s Eastern Market this year for its ninth-annual event. The Detroit Festival of Books, which has grown in size every year since beginning in 2017, has spread across four sheds, DTE Plaza, and one of the market’s parking lots. The event features more than 300 authors and vendors.
This year’s event will be Sunday, July 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Attendance remains free.
“We couldn’t be more excited to hold this event again,” said Ryan M. Place, Bookfest’s founder and chairman. “The book festival draws larger crowds every year because Detroiters are passionate about their history and culture. Bookfest is a joyous occasion every third Sunday in July.”
Last year, Bookfest set a goal of collecting 2,000 new and gently used books for Detroit kids from attendees. It far surpassed that goal, having collected more than 4,700 books.
“The response last year was incredible. Every book collected went directly into the hands of Detroit children, helping them build their own home libraries,” said Alyce Hartman, founder of Birdie’s Bookmobile. “This year, we’ve set a goal of 6,000 books. If you’re attending Bookfest and are able to bring a new or gently used book, it’s a meaningful way to support a child in our city.”
In addition to the authors and book vendors present at the event, Bookfest will have a kids’ zone on the west side of Shed 5 (DTE Plaza) with a variety of child-friendly activities, including new events for 2026. Bookfest will release more details as the event approaches.
