The Louisiana Book Festival Is Free in Downtown Baton Rouge on Halloween, With an Irma Thomas Biography, an Anne Rice Discussion and 200-Plus Authors

The 22nd Louisiana Book Festival is Saturday, Oct. 31, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in downtown Baton Rouge, and admission is free. The State Library of Louisiana, which runs the festival, says it is held at the library, the Capitol Park Museum and the surrounding area, and that it draws about 20,000 people. This year's festival release promises more than 200 authors and presenters across more than 20 genres.

Halloween shapes the program. The festival's One Book, One Festival discussion, led by Gary Richards of the University of Mary Washington, marks the 50th anniversary of Anne Rice's "Interview with the Vampire" and runs from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the State Library, according to The Advocate and the festival's at-a-glance schedule. The discussion is free, and readers are invited to read the novel first. The Advocate listed horror panels, including "Demons of Our Own Making" at 9:30 a.m. with David Armand and Emily Carpenter. The schedule lists Halloween costume contests for children at 1 p.m. and for teens at 3 p.m.

Music and memoir are on the schedule too. According to the festival, "Irma Thomas: Soul Queen of New Orleans" debuts the first biography of the singer, and Thomas is scheduled to appear with authors Johnette Downing and Scott Billington. Their author pages in the festival's featured participant lineup list a book talk from 11 to 11:45 a.m. in the State Library's first-floor Seminar Center, followed by a noon signing at the Cavalier House Books tent. The festival will present the Louisiana Writer Award to romance novelist Farrah Rochon at 9 a.m.

History fans get what festival executive director Robert Wilson called a "stronger-than-normal history selection" for the nation's 250th anniversary, he told The Advocate. A panel on the American Revolution and the Louisiana Purchase with historians Richard Bell, Denise Kiernan and Alexander Mikaberidze meets at 9:30 a.m. in the Capitol Park Museum auditorium, according to the schedule. A National Book Foundation conversation on Southern satire with Ben Fountain and Jason Mott is set for 10 a.m. in the State Library's Seminar Center, the festival's author pages say.

Poetry takes over the West Tent outside the Capitol Park Museum all day, The Advocate reported. Louisiana Poet Laureate Gina Ferrara presents two showcases of Louisiana poets, at 10:45 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. The release adds a poetry-to-order feature in the State Library lobby, where writers compose free poems on antique typewriters.

Food is part of the day. The release says live cooking demonstrations run throughout the day in the Cooking Demonstration Tent, and the schedule starts them at 10 a.m. Chefs Frank Brigtsen and Alon Shaya appear together in "Memories from the Kitchen," and Chase Cormier and Ken Wells discuss boucherie and boudin, according to the schedule. The festival's general information page says food vendors will sell everything from chicken on a stick to funnel cakes.

Families get their own space. The festival lists a Young Readers Pavilion and Teen HQ, more than 100 exhibitors and a statewide roundup of public libraries and bookmobiles. The Advocate added that the papermaking tent, balloon artists and face painting return. The release says festival-themed T-shirts, mugs and pins will be on sale.

Plan your parking. The festival's information page says there is street parking, lots near the Capitol and the Galvez Parking Garage. Free wheelchair-accessible parking is in the State Library's south lot, entered from North Third Street, and in designated spaces at the Capitol's southeast corner. Information centers that hand out maps and schedules are near North Fourth and North streets and near Spanish Town Road and North Fourth. The Advocate reported that restoration work at the Capitol put this year's festival near the State Library on Fourth Street.

Each author's page there has a schedule, and The Advocate said a printed book-signing schedule will be available at the event. Questions can go to the festival at 225-219-9503. Writers who want a head start can try the festival's WordShops, three-hour workshops on Friday, Oct. 30, at the State Library. The ticket page lists $55.05 to $97.85 with fees.

The festival's exhibitor list puts 64 Parishes, a magazine on Louisiana history and culture, among its sponsor tents. For background on Louisiana's parishes, see our explainer on why the state has them and who runs them. For more Louisiana music history, read about the Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport.

Photo: xiquinhosilva, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized). The State Library of Louisiana, photographed in April 2024.