Just when you think that San Antonio can’t get any better, a new event is added to the city’s long list of hip happenings that makes the Alamo City even more fabulous.

The San Antonio Book Festival, now in its second year, is that event. My daughter and I attended last year’s book festival and were blown away by the talent gathered in one place, downtown’s Central Library. This year’s event, scheduled for Saturday, April 5, promises to be even bigger and better. And to top it all off, it’s FREE.

More than 90 authors of every genre (children’s, young adult, mystery, history, romance…you get the idea) will attend this year’s festival. Former San Antonio Light Reporter Laura Lippman, author of the Tess Monaghan series, will be in town, as will former Today Show Anchor Jane Pauley, who will talk about her book “Your Life Calling: Reimagining the Rest of Your Life” for those over the age of 50. I’m also happy to see that my TriPoint YMCA gym buddy, Jenny Browne, a professor at Trinity University, is in the schedule. She will read from “Dear Stranger,” her newest book of poetry.

Last year, my daughter, a voracious reader, had the sweet gig of escorting authors from the VIP holding area to their scheduled speaking destination. She had the pleasure of visiting with authors Carmen Tafolla, Sandra Cisneros and Chitra Divakaruni and experiencing them read from their books. Plus, we had the added bonus of running into author Naomi Shihab Nye, one of my all-time favorite people, at Chitra’s reading.

I had a total fangirl moment when I ran into former San Antonio Express-News columnist Rick Casey in the elevator. He was there to moderate a panel with another of my all-time favorite people and writers, Robert Flynn. I can’t wait to see whom I’m going to bump into this year.

The book festival’s schedule is extensive, so plan on spending the day. The event runs from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Although entry to the festival is free, bring some money with you so that you may purchase books from the exhibitor tent and something to eat from local food trucks.

The Central Library is located downtown at 600 Soledad Street. Parking is available in the library’s garage, meters along the street and surrounding lots. Better yet, take the bus! It will give you extra time to read on your way home.

Denise Barkis Richter, Ph.D., author of “San Antonio’s Passport to Fun,” has been blogging about San Antonio since June of 2010. Follow her at facebook.com/SanAntonioTourist so that you’ll never miss a post. Her love affair with the Alamo City began at Hemisfair in 1968. She moved to San Antonio in 1979 as an 18-year-old college student, and San Antonio has been her home ever since. Denise completed certification to become a professional tour guide in 2019. Please contact her at sanantoniotourist at gmail dot com if you’d like for her to curate a fabulous San Antonio experience for you!