Are you looking for a family-friendly activity in D.C. this weekend that’s equally educational and enjoyable?
The Library of Congress presents the 24th annual National Book Festival at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
“We’re excited to be back at the Washington Convention Center and looking forward to having thousands of people celebrate with us for our 24th anniversary,” Festival Director Jarrod MacNeil told WTOP. “The National Book Festival has had many iterations over the years, we started out on the National Mall, we’ve had it at the Library of Congress, the East Lawn of the Capitol and most recently at the Washington Convention Center.”
The popular festival launched back in 2001 in partnership with former first lady Laura Bush.
“Our librarian at the time, Dr. James Billington, wanted to create a place where literacy and reading could be elevated to the American people,” MacNeil said. “We’ve been continuing that tradition over the last 24 years to really excite American readers into getting to know and meet and watch their favorite authors, but then also connecting with new ones, connecting with individuals who like the same books and literature that they do.”
This year’s lineup is headlined by best-selling author James Patterson (“Alex Cross”).
“James Patterson will be kicking off our main stage,” MacNeil said. “Dr. Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress, will open this stage and then James will be talking about ‘The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians,’ kind of a departure from his traditional stories.”
MacNeil said the book profiles Americans and how they read books.
You’ll also see Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Doris Kearns Goodwin discuss late husband Dick Goodwin.
“She’s actually doing a personal history about her own love life in ‘An Unfinished Love Story,” MacNeil said. “This will be an insight into her own life and who she is as an individual and how she came to be one of the more recognizable names that we have when it comes to biographies and historians.”
Attendees will also enjoy a culinary conversation with news anchor and talk show host Tamron Hall.
“Tamron is coming in and doing a presentation on ‘A Confident Cook,’ talking about cooking and will be partnering in the presentation with Lish Steiling,” MacNeil said.
The pair will teach attendees (both in person and online) about how to cook the book’s recipes.
While the Library of Congress recently hosted actress Zooey Deschanel to promote the film “Harold and the Purple Crayon,” this time her “New Girl” co-star Max Greenfield will present his own children’s book.
“In addition to being a heartthrob and actor that we’ve all seen on the small and big screen, he’s also a writer,” MacNeil said. “We’re really excited that he’s going to be talking about ‘Good Night Thoughts,’ a book that he’s promoting this year and we’re really excited to have him on the main stage talking about his latest release.”
You also don’t want to miss Sandra Cisneros, who earned National Endowment for the Arts fellowships in both poetry and fiction, as well as a MacArthur fellowship, National Medal of Arts and countless other distinctions.
“Sandra is going to be on the main stage celebrating her 40th anniversary of ‘The House on Mango Street,'” MacNeil said. “We’re really excited that she’s coming to talk to us and revisit that wonderful story.”
Events will be live-streamed all day, then posted online as on-demand videos after the festival.
Listen to our full conversation here.
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