Booksville Festival Volume 2 Expands to Fairgrounds with More Than 60 Authors

Booksville Festival Volume 2 will return to the Hernando County Fairgrounds, 6436 Broad Street in Brooksville, on January 24, 2026, with a markedly expanded program that organizers say builds on last year’s inaugural event. Moving indoors across three buildings at the fairgrounds allows simultaneous programming and more vendor space, accommodating more than 60 local authors, book vendors and community organizations.

The free festival emphasizes family and community participation. Children’s activities will be offered at no cost, and highlights include a community poem project, a Brooksville anthology release, book-binding workshops, live readings, free-book giveaways, a spelling bee and a costume contest. Organizers are staging events aimed at a range of ages and skill levels to encourage reading and writing beyond the single-day festival.

Volunteer leadership from local civic groups is coordinating logistics and programming. The indoor venue was chosen specifically to enable parallel workshops, readings and vendor activity without weather-related disruption, and to increase capacity for interactive sessions such as book-binding demonstrations and school-age competitions.

Schedule highlights will span workshops, readings and community projects throughout the three indoor buildings. The spelling bee and costume contest require registration in advance; contestants are asked to register ahead of the event to secure a spot. The festival will also host the release of a Brooksville anthology featuring local contributors and will launch a community poem project designed to continue after the festival as part of its goal to foster year-round literary engagement.

Beyond cultural value, the festival is expected to benefit local vendors and authors by concentrating foot traffic at the fairgrounds and showcasing Hernando County’s creative economy. Free admission lowers barriers for families and residents, while vendor sales and author visibility create opportunities for small-business revenue and expanded readership.

The Brooksville Woman’s Club, noted historically for its role in Hernando’s library legacy, is a key supporter of the festival’s outreach and continuity goals. Organizers say the event is intended to complement ongoing literacy efforts in the county and to provide a recurring platform for local writers.

For details on contest registration and the full schedule, organizers advise checking the festival’s official information channels or contacting event organizers directly ahead of January 24.