State guide
Maryland
Two Maryland book festivals had working sites. The Baltimore Book Festival page says the festival returns to Waverly on September 19 and 20, 2026, for a two-day celebration of books and authors presented by the Mayor’s Office of Arts, Culture and Entertainment with Baltimore bookstores. It mentions nine stages and more than 100 literary vendors. The Gaithersburg Book Festival site describes a mission to foster interest in reading, writing, and literary conversation. The Maryland State Library Agency says it administers funding, trains library staff, and oversees services that include the Maryland State Library for the Blind and Print Disabled and the Governor’s Young Readers Program.
Checked against official sources on October 11, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
- State library or arts office
- Maryland State Library Agency
- Festivals we verified
- Baltimore Book Festival; Gaithersburg Book Festival
- Official program page
- Official page →
Baltimore’s page is specific about place and presenter. Waverly is the neighborhood, the Mayor’s Office is the city partner, and independent bookstores are collaborators. The page also flags pre-festival conversations and lodging with a festival sponsor. This guide does not copy the stage grid. The useful facts are the September 19–20 dates, the Waverly streets, the nine stages, and the vendor count the organizers printed. Readers should reopen the festival site for set times.
Gaithersburg’s site states the mission quoted above and presents itself as a book festival and author event. The homepage text retrieved for this guide leaned on that mission and on comments from past authors. It did not clearly print a new weekend date in the portion saved here, so no Gaithersburg date is invented. People who want that festival should use gaithersburgbookfestival.org for the current year rather than a 2019 caption.
The Maryland State Library Agency is the statewide library office. Its description includes funding, certification, the library for blind and print-disabled readers, the Maryland Deaf Culture Digital Library, the Governor’s Young Readers Program, capital grants, and the State Library Resource Center at Enoch Pratt’s Central Branch in Baltimore. Those services run whether or not a festival weekend is underway. Use the Agency for library access and the two festival sites for author events.
Official resources in Maryland
Official page for the September 19–20, 2026 festival in Waverly.
Official site stating a mission to foster reading, writing, and literary conversation.
State agency for library funding, accessible library services, and the Governor’s Young Readers Program.
Key facts for Maryland
- The Baltimore Book Festival page says the 2026 festival is September 19 and 20 in Waverly.
- It says the Mayor’s Office of Arts, Culture and Entertainment presents the festival with local bookstores.
- The page mentions nine stages and more than 100 literary vendors and exhibitors.
- The Gaithersburg Book Festival site says its mission is to foster reading, writing, and literary conversation.
- The Maryland State Library Agency says it administers state and federal library funding and staff training.
- The Agency lists the library for the blind and print disabled and the Governor’s Young Readers Program.
Verified festivals and programs in Maryland
| Festival | city | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Book Festival | Baltimore | September 19–20, 2026, in Waverly, presented with the Mayor’s Office and local bookstores. |
| Gaithersburg Book Festival | Gaithersburg | Official festival site with a mission focused on reading, writing, and literary conversation. A new date was not in the fetched homepage text. |
* Not published: the official page doesn't list it. Call the office to confirm before you rely on it.
What to do next
- Use the Baltimore site for stage times; this guide does not copy them.
- Check the Gaithersburg site for a current date before you travel.
- Ask the State Library Agency about accessible books if a festival crowd is not the right setting.
- Remember the Governor’s Young Readers Program is a library program, not a festival ticket.
Not seeing your festival or county?
We list a festival only when an official government page publishes its rules. If yours isn't in the table above, it may not publish them online yet. Here's what to use instead, in order:
- General Start with the statewide information above. It applies across Maryland, but cities and counties can add their own steps, fees or deadlines.
- Closest verified Nearest places where we have verified local data outside this state (distance from Maryland's population center, for comparison only):
- National Book Festival, District of Columbia · about 19 miles
- Delaware Division of Libraries, Delaware · about 69 miles
- State Library of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania · about 92 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office. They have the current local rule, fee and form.Maryland State Library Agency
Website →Phone not shown: use the contact page on the official website above.Your city or county office: Maryland Manual: county governments →Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the Maryland page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us and include a link to the official page. We check every tip before it goes up.
Helpful guides
- How to use a state book festival guide
- What a book festival typically includes
- The National Book Festival
- Finding author events at the state library