Gaithersburg Book Festival
The 17th annual festival takes place Saturday, May 16, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. at Bohrer Park at Summit Hall Farm (506 S. Frederick Ave.) in Gaithersburg, Md. Full details can be found on the website: www.gaithersburgbookfestival.org
Kids Writing Workshops
Young storytellers, artists, poets and day‑dreamers can dive into a vibrant lineup of free, hands‑on workshops that will cover everything from crafting odes and building fantasy worlds to designing comics, art journals, nature poems and even reporter notebooks. The children’s workshops, which are 55 minutes long and designed for children ages Kindergarten through 5th grade (unless otherwise noted) and their families, include:
- Odes to Favorite Things – 10:00 a.m.
- Comic Character Creation – 11:00 a.m.
- Notice, Ask, Listen: Be a Reporter to Improve Your Stories – Noon
- Fantasy Worldbuilding – 1:00 p.m.
- Nature Art and Poetry Fun! – 2:00 p.m.
- Epistolary Writing – 3:00 p.m.
- Art Journaling: Stories Through Words and Pictures – 4:00 p.m.
Children's Village
Children’s Village Brings Non‑Stop Creativity to the 2026 Gaithersburg Book Festival
The Children’s Village at the 2026 Gaithersburg Book Festival will be buzzing from the start, inviting young readers to dive into a full day of hands‑on creativity, storytelling adventures and meet‑the‑author magic. Kids can craft Lune poems, tap out messages on vintage typewriters, build zines and LEGO sculptures, churn butter, sketch dinosaurs, explore Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, and even create Mad Libs about service dogs—all while award‑winning children’s and YA authors share their stories just steps away.
- Non-stop activities in the Children's Village
- Award-Winning, Best-Selling Authors and Book Signings
- Writing Workshops
Adult Writing Workshops
Aspiring authors and creatives can dive into a full slate of free workshops at this year’s Gaithersburg Book Festival, taking place May 16 at Bohrer Park at Summit Hall Farm. Led by published writers, editors and seasoned instructors, these sessions—covering everything from book proposals and submissions strategy to character creation, storytelling, and even songwriting—offer practical, hands‑on guidance that participants can immediately put to work. The 55-minute workshops, which are designed for ages 16+, will be held during the Festival in the Adult and Teen Workshops Tent. No pre-registration is required. Workshops include:
- How to Catch and Keep a Reader – 10:00 a.m.
- Get Published: The Guide to Submissions – 11:00 a.m.
- Making Wildly Imaginative Characters Through Anthropomorphism – Noon
- How to Publish and Distribute Your Book – 1:00 p.m.
- Artifacts: The Craft of Descriptive Writing – 2:00 p.m.
- Songwriting – 3:00 p.m.
- The Polished Proposal: Crafting a Non-Fiction Book Proposal That Gets Attention – 4:00 p.m.