Friends of The Written Word seeks to create and sustain a vibrant literary culture in Fredericksburg, Texas. To fulfill this vision we promote reading, support writers, and celebrate literary arts in our community through education, outreach, and special events. Friends of the Written Word, Inc., is a 501(c)3 organization.
Friends of the Written Word sponsors the Fredericksburg Book Festival. This festival promotes literacy, facilitates connections between authors and readers, and celebrates our public library as a fun and inviting center of discovery, community, and conversation.
Fredericksburg is in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. Founded by German immigrants in 1846, the community is now a mecca for wine lovers, a destination for tasty peaches, and hosts more than one million visitors per year.
Although Fredericksburg hosts many special events, for many years it lacked a literary event such as a book festival. In February 2024, three Fredericksburg residents gathered at a coffee shop to discuss the idea of creating a book festival. Encouraged, they decided to host a larger meeting to gauge community interest in a book festival. Everyone loved the idea. Soon, the group established Friends of the Written Word, Inc., a nonprofit organization.
Under the umbrella of Friends of the Written Word, a grassroots group of volunteers planned and hosted the first Fredericksburg Book Festival in January 2025. The organizing committee consisted of about fifteen volunteers with a variety of legal, planning, marketing, financial, and social media skills.
The Fredericksburg Book Festival is patterned after the Texas Book Festival in Austin and the San Antonio Book Festival (among others). While bringing Texas authors to Fredericksburg, our book festival encourages reading among children and adults and seeks to attract more patrons to the Pioneer Memorial Library. Located in Fredericksburg’s historic district, the public library is an important community hub.
The first Fredericksburg Book Festival was held on January 18, 2025. The event featured presentations by a dozen authors, book sales and signings, children’s activities, and a trolley transporting festival attendees to three venues. Approximately 700 people attended our first book festival. The second Fredericksburg Book Festival on January 17, 2026, drew even more attendees—approximately 1,000 people. These events demonstrate that Fredericksburg, which has a rich history of community gatherings, will support literary events.
In addition to hosting a book festival, Friends of the Written Word pursues other ways to promote reading, highlight Texas authors, and support literary events. Some of our book festival authors talk to students at local schools the day before the festival. We have also sponsored poetry readings, a short story contest, and a film screening.
We look forward to seeing you at one of our events!
Contact
fredericksburgbookfest@gmail.com
For questions about:
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Volunteering at the festival
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Sponsorship opportunities
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Donating to Friends of the Written Word a 501(c)3 organization
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General inquiries
Visit Fredericksburg
Pioneer Memorial Library
115 W Main St, Fredericksburg, TX 78624
St. Joseph’s Halle and the Gillespie County Historical Society’s Sanctuary
Need lodging for the book festival?