Book Festivals by State

State guide

Washington

The Bainbridge Island Book Festival is the Washington festival verified here. Its site calls it an annual literary festival on Bainbridge Island, a 35-minute ferry ride from Seattle, and says the third annual festival is September 25 and 26, 2026, with nationally known authors. Friday, September 25, is described as an opening gala and fundraiser, a ticketed conversation with Edwidge Danticat. Saturday daytime author programs are described as free. The Washington State Library, in the Office of the Secretary of State, is the state library agency. Its site loaded and covers library services for the state.

Checked against official sources on October 11, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.

Try a ZIP like 30303, “Travis County” or “Columbus, OH”
State library or arts office
Washington State Library
Festivals we verified
Bainbridge Island Book Festival
Official program page
Official page →

The festival page separates a ticketed Friday from free Saturday daytime programs. That split is the practical planning fact. The island setting is also explicit: visitors are told about the ferry from Seattle. This guide does not copy the author biographies. It does note that the site was proud to list Danticat for the Friday conversation. People who only want the free day should read the Saturday details on the festival site before they skip the gala.

A community calendar page about the same weekend described a poetry program with Layli Long Soldier and Rena Priest and pointed back to the festival site, with free admission for that reading. The festival’s own authors page is still the authority for the lineup. Use bainbridgeislandbookfestival.org rather than a third-party listing if the two disagree. Reopen the official links in this Washington entry before you travel, file a form, or trust a date copied from a social repost.

The Washington State Library is not the festival presenter. Use sos.wa.gov/library for state library services and the festival site for the September island weekend. No second Washington book festival was verified in this pass. Seattle residents should plan the ferry, not assume the event is on the Seattle waterfront. If Washington State Library updates hours, a venue, or a deadline, the live page replaces this Washington summary. This Washington note adds no crowd estimate, ticket price, or street address beyond the pages that were fetched.

Official resources in Washington

Bainbridge Island Book Festival

Official site for the September 25–26, 2026 festival and the Friday gala.

2026 authors

Festival page describing free Saturday daytime author programs.

Washington State Library

State library in the Office of the Secretary of State.

Key facts for Washington

Verified festivals and programs in Washington

FestivalcityDetails
Bainbridge Island Book FestivalBainbridge IslandSeptember 25–26, 2026. Friday gala is ticketed; Saturday daytime author programs are described as free.

* Not published: the official page doesn't list it. Call the office to confirm before you rely on it.

What to do next

  1. Decide whether you want the ticketed Friday gala or the free Saturday programs.
  2. Plan the ferry from Seattle; the site describes the island trip.
  3. Use the festival’s author page if another calendar conflicts with it.
  4. Use the State Library site for library services, not for gala tickets.

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:

  1. General Start with the statewide information above. It applies across Washington, but cities and counties can add their own steps, fees or deadlines.
  2. Closest verified Nearest places where we have verified local data outside this state (distance from Washington's population center, for comparison only):
  3. Call to confirm Ask the official office. They have the current local rule, fee and form.
    Washington State Library
    Website →
    Phone not shown: use the contact page on the official website above.
    Your city or county office: MRSC Washington city and town profiles →
    Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the Washington page on USA.gov can point you to the right office.
  4. Know the current info? Tell us and include a link to the official page. We check every tip before it goes up.

Helpful guides

Festival finder →

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