Charlotte BookPalooza, a one-day festival for readers, takes over Truist Field, the uptown home of the Charlotte Knights, on Saturday, Oct. 10, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The organizers' 2026 lineup lists 86 indie authors, along with booksellers, makers and food vendors. A festival pass costs $5, and children 15 and under get in free.
The festival, now in its third year, is the main fundraiser for Books on the House, a nonprofit that gives books away. The group says it has handed out more than 102,000 free books since March 2023, to children and adults in Charlotte, the Lake Norman area and western North Carolina.
What to expect
Kat Varner, who organizes the festival and directs Books on the House, described the day to Axios, according to Sept. 24 write-ups on Charlotte radio station websites that relayed the interview. Visitors can read to a rescue dog, play games and make crafts, visit a parapet inspired by the fantasy novel "Fourth Wing," and leave someone at a designated spot to "park your partner" while they shop. The first 250 people through the gates get a free swag bag, and Varner advises bringing an empty tote or a wagon.
The author lineup, posted by the organizers, runs alphabetically from A.A. Achibane to Nicole Zelniker, and the festival tells visitors to come "snag a signed book (or five)."
Five booksellers are listed: Fred & June's Books, which is also an event sponsor, House of Hemlock, Mood Reader, Red Rice Books and The Wandering Page. More than 20 other vendors round out the market, along with face painting, henna art, tarot card readings and princess appearances. The food list includes Knights Stadium Concessions and Once Upon A Bite, whose food is book-themed.
For anyone going alone, the Book & Sip Charlotte book club is hosting a meetup from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Home Plate Club inside the ballpark, then heading into the festival together.
Tickets and entry
Passes are sold online through a link on charlottebookpalooza.com. Everyone 16 and older needs a pass, according to the organizers' ticket page. Children 15 and under need no ticket, but they must be with the group when it enters to get in free, and anyone under 18 must come with a parent or a supervising adult.
Books on the House says 100 percent of each ticket purchase goes to its mission, and buyers can add a donation at checkout.
The festival's logo carries the nonprofit's motto: "Read loud. Be bold."