Miami Book Fair

Whether your nose is always buried in a book or you’re a family looking for free, fun things to do with kids in Greater Miami & Miami Beach, the Miami Book Fair is a must-attend annual event: eight days of book-loving fun mixed with entertainment at the Wolfson Campus of Miami Dade College in Downtown Miami.

The 42nd edition of the fair offers the chance to mingle with more than 400 famous and up-and-coming authors in every genre and hear about the inspiration and events behind their latest page-turners. It caters to families with non-stop activities and live entertainment, and avid readers love scooping up books and gifts. Much of the programming is in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole. Don’t miss Miami’s literary event of the year.

Read on for details of last year's Miami Book Fair

Miami Book Fair Events

Author Readings And Conversations

Every year, Miami Book Fair presents numerous events featuring renowned individuals who’ve released new books. Adults will want to bookmark the intimate “Evenings With” events, where hot-ticket authors and legends like Connie Chung, Erik Larson and Amy Tan discuss their new books and creative processes. These author readings also offer the chance to hear from local talent, like Pulitzer Prize-winning writers Dave Barry and Leonard Pitts. Check out the fair's events calendar for this year's lineup.

The Street Fair

One of Miami Book Fair’s best events is the Street Fair, November 22-24. Stroll along the tent-lined Downtown Miami streets, where more than 250 exhibitors will sell everything from books to artisanal wares. This is also where you’ll find the uber-cool Off the Shelf stage, with musical and poetry performances as well as a variety of food options from Smorgasburg Miami. Admission to the Street Fair is free on Friday. Purchase tickets for Saturday and Sunday in advance. Kids 12 and under get in free.

Children’s Alley

Families flock to Children’s Alley, which this year will have more space and new attractions. You’ll often spot parents pushing strollers loaded with books (or even swinging their hips in a hula hoop) while kids run free with freshly painted faces that resemble their favorite book character. Each day brings something fresh, from roving stilt walkers to giant puppets to tents with arts and crafts, theater, music and more. There’ll also be soccer-related activities from FIFA and performances by Grammy Award-winning artists. The live author readings and book signings are favored events for families, kids and young adults. Top authors this year for middle and young adult readers are Darcie Lee Badger, Alexis Castellanos, Justin A. Reynolds and cartoonist/author George O’Connor. Explore more Miami Book Fair programming for families.

Accessibility

The grounds and all venues are wheelchair accessible; personal assistants and trained service animals can attend free of charge. For the hearing-impaired, sign-language interpretation and assistive listening devices are available with advance notice of 72 business hours of the chosen event’s start time. Requests can be made via email to waccess@mdc.edu, by calling 305-237-3072 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or via the Florida Relay service at 1-800-955-8771.

Parking & Public Transportation

Getting to and around the fair is easy and affordable. Fairgoers can arrive by Metrobus, Metrorail, Metromover and Freebee (by downloading the app). Free parking is available in the Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus garage at 500 NE 2nd Ave. Parking at the College Station Garage, 190 NE 3rd St., is $5. The Convention Center Garage in the Bank of America building, 100 SE 2nd St., offers 24-hour parking for a fee. Valet parking is also available for $7 on the southeast corner of NE 5th Street and 2nd Avenue.

Even after the fair is over, you can enjoy the Miami Book Fair all year long with a diverse array of programming and events.

By Angela Caraway-Carlton | September 20, 2024