In the past several years, I’ve cleverly tried to schedule visits to see my family who live in the D.C. area to coincide with the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. This year, there will be a wonderful assortment of authors, illustrators, and poets, including Sherman Alexie, Toni Morrison, Tomie dePaola, Rita Dove, Jennifer Egan, Eugene Robinson, Brian Selznick, Neal Stephenson, Siddhartha Mukherjee, and many more participants I’m excited to see.
There are also a whole slew of bloggers in the Md.-D.C.-Va. Area, and I hope to see some of them as well. This is a wonderful event that takes place every year if you are looking for an excuse to visit the nation’s capital!
Note: For a less crowded venue, on the same weekend the Baltimore Book Festival is not far away and also is the home of the beautiful National Aquarium.
Rhapsody in Books Weblog 
I wish I could go, but I don’t think it’s going to happen this year. I hope you have a blast!
Sounds like a lot of fun. I still need to make it to BEA…
Looks like it’s going to be great. Can’t wait to hear about it!
I live in DC and have never been to the book festival. I always seem to be out of town when it happens. I’m hoping this year that I’ll be able to go!
This sounds like such a great event, and I am glad that you will be going and bringing back the scoop for us! Get loads of pictures to share, if you can!
hmmm..I will actually be on vacation then, but i am thinking Maine. do i need to reconsider…?
Ooo, I would love to attend a Book Festival in DC! I can’t do it this year but I’m penciling it in now for next year!
Have a fantastic time, Jill!
I wish I could go! It’s never worked out for us to be in DC at the same time as the National Book Festival though. Hopefully someday!
Envy! Are you going to see Frances, Anna and Serena? And if you see Jennifer Egan, please give her a big kiss from me! And Selznik too. I would love to attend this someday, but I’m wondering if it is always going to be back to back with SIBA…
Hmmmm. I wasn’t going to go this year, but if you are coming….
It sounds like a super festival but we can’t travel much. We are going to Virginia, near D.C., for a COPD conference at the beginning of Dec. and I hope with the wheelchair we can get into D.C. for a few hours. Haven’t been there in many years. Hope you have a great time.
I haven’t decided whether I’m going yet, but if I do, I will let you know for sure! Would love to see you again and for more than a couple of minutes. 😉
I’m hoping to make it next year. Have fun for me this year!
Have fun! I wish I could come but I (alas) have other plans. They do not involve books. They do involve a sweet little baby cousin and food, which is almost as good.
That sounds like paradise to me!!! Enjoy! 😀
If this was NOT the Little One’s birthday weekend, I would totally go!! I’m so upset … it sounds fantastic. I so wish I could go. Maybe it will work better next year.
I’ve always thought this sounded like so much fun and hope to go someday.
Hoping Spencer and I can make it there again this year — probably on Saturday! I haven’t heard any plans about all of us possibly meeting up for dinner and/or hanging out this year . . . hopefully I’ll find you! 🙂
Sounds like a great event. I hope you have a good time 🙂
I knew about the D.C. festival but I wasn’t aware of the Baltimore one — I’m off to check it out, thanks!
I’m hoping to be there this year!
You are clever/smart/sneaky to schedule family visits this way – lucky you to be able to check off family commitments AND be surrounded by book lovers in the same weekend.
The poster for the Natl Book Fest is stunning – I wonder if they sell it?