2026 Saratoga Book Festival

About this event

A Weekend Built Around Books

The Saratoga Book Festival brings together writers, book lovers, and reluctant readers for four days of conversations, interviews, readings, workshops, and youth programs throughout downtown Saratoga Springs. The festival's mission centers on encouraging a lifelong love of reading and expanding literacy access across the community.

2026 Festival Dates

Dates: October 1–4, 2026

Eric Idle appears at Universal Preservation Hall on Thursday, October 1, opening four days of programming across the city.

Genres and Programming

Sessions cover contemporary and literary fiction alongside popular genres such as fantasy, science fiction, suspense, historical fiction, and crime fiction. Nonfiction programming spans current events, history, science, and cooking and lifestyle topics, with additional sessions dedicated to memoir and children's and young adult literature.

Literary Night Market

Date: Friday, October 2, 6–9 PM at Universal Preservation Hall

More than 60 local authors and booksellers set up across fiction, fantasy, self-help, memoir, thriller, education, romance, art, and horror categories. The evening includes live music, light bites, and a cash bar alongside the author showcase.

KidZone

Date: Sunday, October 4, 1–4 PM at the Children's Museum at Saratoga

Over 40 children's authors and publishers meet young readers and their families in this dedicated session. Vendor highlights include Magic Matt Entertainment, Ben & Jerry's, Saratoga Springs Publishing, and The Dark Horse Mercantile.

Session Highlights

More than 30 sessions run October 1–4 at venues throughout the city, including the Saratoga Springs Public Library, Universal Preservation Hall, Caffè Lena, and Saratoga Arts.

Programming includes:

• Keynote presentations from best-selling authors
• Book chats on recent literary releases
• Panel discussions on current topics in publishing and storytelling
• Author book signings
• A literary marketplace featuring local booksellers

Nearly all sessions are free and open to the public.

2026 Saratoga Book Festival Schedule

Saturday, October 3 At-a-Glance

Universal Preservation Hall

• 8:30–9:30 AM: I Could Write a Book Workshop — Tamani Wooley, John Oliver & David Wilson
• 10:00–11:00 AM: Chris Bohjalian in conversation with Joe Donahue
• 11:30 AM–12:30 PM: Julia Alvarez in conversation with Rachel Person
• 4:00–5:00 PM: Crime Fiction Happy Hour featuring Nic DiDomizio & Ashley Winstead, with Abby Tegnelia

Caffè Lena

• 11:30 AM–12:30 PM: Romantasy Tea featuring Mai Corland & Lauren Blackwood, with Caitlin Sheldon
• 1:00–2:00 PM: Francine Prose in conversation with Halimah Marcus
• 2:30–3:30 PM: A Conversation with John Searles & Jonathan Santlofer, with Ellen Beal
• 4:00–5:00 PM: The Art of the Short Story — Sigrid Nunez & Mark Mayer, with Robert Boyers

Saratoga Arts

• 1:00–2:00 PM: Sapphic Second Acts — Kate Fagan, Kim Van Alkemade & Kayla Rae Whitaker, with Beck Krefting
• 2:30–3:30 PM: Family of Spies: A World War II Story of Espionage, Betrayal... — Christine Kuehn & Mark Schiponi, with Matt Witten
• 4:00–5:00 PM: Vladimir: Page to Screen — Julia May Jonas in conversation with Kim van Alkemade
• 7:00–8:30 PM: How Dylan and the Beatles Changed Each Other—and the World — Jim Windolf, with Paul Bogaards & Chuck Vosganian

Saratoga Springs Public Library

• 9:30–11:00 AM: Devising and Revising Poetry Workshop — Jay Rogoff & Marilyn McCabe
• 1:00–2:00 PM: Horror Panel — Clay McLeod Chapman, Paul Tremblay, Christoph Paul & Saratoga Schaefer, with Trevor Oakley
• 2:30–3:30 PM: Confronting Looming Catastrophes in Fiction — Isabel J. Kim & Yume Kitasei, with Robert Repino

Sunday, October 4 At-a-Glance

Universal Preservation Hall

• 10:00–11:00 AM: Crosswords & Coffee — Chandi Deitmer, Kate Hawkins & Natalie Moore
• 11:30 AM–12:30 PM: Romance Panel — Jennifer Iacopelli & Elizabeth Everett, with Donna Marchetti
• 1:00–2:00 PM: Political Appetites: A Culinary History of America's Revolution — Nancy Siegel, with Lauren Roberts

Saratoga Arts

• 11:30 AM–12:30 PM: Murder Mystery — Ashley Winstead & Jonathan Santlofer, with Joshlyn Jackson
• 1:00–2:00 PM: Writing Crime Fiction: A Conversation with Joshlyn Jackson & Matt Witten
• 2:30–3:30 PM: Parks & Rec: The Feel Good Comedy That Inspired a Vision for a Better America — Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, with Ellen Beal

Saratoga Springs Public Library

• 1:00–2:00 PM: Writing Memoir — Cara Benson & Paul Taylor, with Pat Nugent
• 4:00–5:30 PM: A Celebration of New Books by Poets — Carol Graser, Elaine Handley & Lucyna Prostko, with Jay Rogoff

Skidmore College Zankel

• 10:00–11:00 AM: Skidmore College Presents — Joan Lunden with Julie Chapman

Location: The Children's Museum at Saratoga

• KidZone: 1:00–4:00 PM

Supporting the Festival

The Saratoga Book Festival is the largest annual fundraising event for the Friends of the Saratoga Springs Public Library, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting library programs, staff, and facilities. More than 60% of festival funding comes from individual donors, which keeps most programming free to attendees. Volunteers work throughout the event, and information on volunteer opportunities is available through the Friends of the Saratoga Springs Public Library.