The KPBS San Diego Book Festival has announced its schedule of activities for youth and families. Along with a dedicated youth activity area, there will be performances, story times and photo opportunities with PBS Kids characters. The festival is taking place on Saturday, August 23, 2025, 10am - 4pm, on the University of San Diego campus.
The new KPBS San Diego Book Festival will bring locals of all ages together around a shared love of books, learning, and literacy. This event will feature panel discussions, a youth exploration area with activities, live entertainment, and exhibitors including local authors and independent booksellers. The event is open to the public and general admission is free. Some author sessions have a nominal fee to reserve a seat where space is limited. Anticipated attendance is 4,000.
Youth schedule:
Photo opportunities
Clifford the Big Red Dog - 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Cat in the Hat - 12 p.m. - 2 p.m.
Curious George - 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Main Stage
10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
Young Lions Jazz Conservatory
12:45 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.
Ziggy Marley - “Pajammin'”
Book Sales and Signing by Camino Books
1:15 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Announcement of 2025 One Book, One San Diego selections
Youth Stage Author Story Times and Performances
10:30 a.m. - 10:50 a.m.
Opera4Kids
11:00 a.m. - 11:20 a.m.
Story time: Georgeanne Irvine, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Press
Book Sales and Signing by San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Press
11:30 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.
Story time: María Dolores Águila - “Barrio Rising: The Protest that Built Chicano Park”
Book Sales and Signing by Libélula Books & Co.
12:00 p.m. - 12:20 p.m.
Center for World Music: Nomsa Burkhardt, South African-born storyteller, artist, and cultural educator performing “Connecting Our Worlds Through Stories"
1:40 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Story time: Susie Ghahremani - “Rosemary Long Ears”
Zohreh Ghahremani - “Memory Garden”
Book Sales and Signing by Joyride Bookshop
2:10 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Story time: Devin Elle Kurtz - “Bakery Dragon”
Book Sales and Signing by Joyride Bookshop
2:40 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Story time: Minh Lê - “Built to Last”
Book Sales and Signing by Joyride Bookshop
3:10 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Story time: Andrea Zuill - “Bob the Vampire Snail”
Book Sales and Signing by Joyride Bookshop
3:40 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Story time: 2025 OBOSD Kids Selection (title to be announced at 1:15 p.m. on the Main Stage at the Book Festival)
The participating authors in the children's, middle school and young adult genres are:
Andrea Zuill
Aron Nels Steinke
Chris Baron
C.B. Lee
Dan Santat
Devin Elle Kurtz
Georganne Irvine
María Dolores Águila
Minh Le
Nick Brooks
Sally Pla
Susan Lee
Susie Ghahremani
Vanessa Le
Ziggy Marley
In addition, the following organizations will be selling kids books and facilitating kids activities:
Joyride Bookshop
Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE)
AuthorHouse Kids
The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Press
KPBS Kids and KPBS 65th Birthday
Children's Museum of Discovery
Habbi Habbi Bilingual Books & Toys
The Learning Choice Academy
San Diego County Library
Words Alive!
Visit the San Diego Book Festival website to see more information about what to expect at the Book Festival.
The event is made possible by presenting sponsor University of San Diego. "It is wonderful to see thousands of people and families come onto our campus to enjoy books together," said Brian Clack, PhD, director of USD's Humanities Center. "A love for books and reading is something we foster here at the University of San Diego, and we are grateful to be able to provide children with their own area at the festival to explore stories, engage in creative activities, and experience the joy of being read to in a fun, welcoming environment."
“KPBS is excited to add in-person storytelling, performances, and special hands-on activities just for young people and their families at this year’s Book Festival. We even have something for middle grade bibliophiles and fanatics of graphic novels to check out, including panels and book signings with graphic novel authors. When we put together the schedule, we really wanted to have something for book lovers of all ages,” says Jenelle Dean, community engagement manager for KPBS and lead festival planner.
About KPBS San Diego Book Festival:
The San Diego Book Festival is a free, public event for book lovers of all ages. It is produced by KPBS and presented by the University of San Diego. This annual event features panel discussions with award-winning authors, activities, live entertainment, exhibitors including local authors and independent booksellers, a youth reading stage and exploration area and more. For more information visit kpbs.org/sdbookfestival.
Support for the 2025 festival is provided by presenting sponsor the University of San Diego and premier sponsor Bright Event Rentals. Additional sponsors are Broadway San Diego, Lloyd Pest Control, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Press, San Diego County Library, AuthorHouse Kids, HandsOn San Diego, US Bank, San Diego Theatres and Parent Institute for Quality Education.
Media Contact:
Heather Milne Barger
hmilne@kpbs.org
