All about the festival

The Virginia Festival of the Book, produced by the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities (VFH), is a celebration of books and literacy. We are so glad you share our passion!

The VABook!  Information Desk is in the Charlottesville Omni Hotel, with Festival schedules, maps, guides to the area, bus schedules, etc. available beginning Wednesday, March 26.  Volunteers will staff the desk beginning at noon on Wednesday, then Thursday, March 27 through Saturday, March 29 (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).  The VFH will also provide information by phone (434-924-3296) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the Festival.

Parking locations are designated on the Downtown and UVa site maps (P). Validation for two hours of free parking in the Downtown area for city parking structures is available at the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library (Central Library) and at select stores on the Downtown Mall. Parking at the Omni Hotel on Saturday will be extremely limited, so residents will help out immensely by carpooling or taking public transportation. For specialized accessibility and parking information, please consult “Venue Details” which is available under the venue listing on the festival website (vabook.org).

Public Transportation:  Charlottesville Transit Service has a free trolley service which runs from downtown, through the University and back downtown, leaving at bus stops every 15 minutes. Schedules for other bus routes are available at the information desk and through volunteers at the following venues: UVa Bookstore, City Council Chambers, McIntire Room of the Central Library. Service is Monday through Saturday with night service on many routes. Call 434-296-RIDE for more information.

Become a Friend of the Festival! The Virginia Festival of the Book is dedicated to keeping programs free of charge. However, VABook! relies on many private donations. Your tax-deductible gift can be made at the information desk, or be mailed to The Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, 145 Ednam Drive, Charlottesville, VA 22903. 

Please Note: Festival events may be subject to change or last-minute cancellation; for most up-to-date information, refer to vabook.org daily for any cancellation notices which will appear with the specific program listing. Unless otherwise noted, events are free and open to the public. Most venues are handicapped accessible. The Virginia Festival of the Book reserves the right to determine eligibility for participation in VABook! based on constraints of time, space, and content.

Photographs, sound and video of Festival events, participants, audiences and by-standers may be used by the Virginia Festival of the Book and the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities for publicity and promotional purposes. These are the property of the Virginia Festival of the Book and the VFH. Event photography is reserved for authorized media participants and sponsors; visual or audio media taken at the Festival may be used for broadcast or publication only with the permission of the VFH.

Booksigning policy: Books are provided by local booksellers at most events—topic depending. Priority in booksigning lines is always given to attendees with books bought at the event. Attendees bringing previously bought books may be asked to wait until the end to have their books signed. In some cases (indicated on the website) authors will not sign or inscribe books, though books will be sold.