National Book FestivalBibliophiles take note: you'll want to time your visit to Washington DC, for the end of September, to coincide with the increasingly popular National Book Festival. Launched in 2001 by the Library of Congress and then-First Lady Laura Bush (herself a former librarian) to celebrate reading and lifelong literacy, the day-long event attracts more than 120,000 people and features scores of authors. Travel Information
National Book Festival Hours: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Admission: Free Parking: There is limited free, public, day-long parking available along Ohio Drive, SW, between the Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson Memorials. Metered parking on streets is restricted to two hours. You'll also find paid garages downtown, north of the Mall. Metrorail: Blue and Orange Line to the Smithsonian stop or Green and Yellow Line to the Archives/Navy Memorial stop. Nearby Attractions
Held in several pavilions set up on the National Mall, the festival draws authors from all genres, who read from their work and happily sign books for legions of fans. At the 2009 festival, check out author Lois Lowry in the “Children’s” pavilion; Judy Blume in “Teens and Children”; Junot Diaz, John Grisham, John Irving, and Colson Whitehead in “Fiction and Fantasy”; David Baldacci in “Mysteries and Thrillers”; Ken Burns, Gwen Ifill, and Simon Schama in “History and Biolgraphy”; and Jane Hirshfield and Kay Ryan in “Poetry and Prose.” Travel TipsCheck out the full list of authors at www.loc.gov/bookfest. As the actual date approaches (September 26 in 2009), the Library of Congress will add speaking and signing times to each author’s bio, so if there’s someone you especially want to see you’ll know when to be where. On the site, you can also watch archived webcasts or download podcasts of past years’ authors.
Find all the information you need about Washington, D.C. at http://www.thedistrict.com |
  
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