The Virginia Festival of the Book moves to April in 2027: April 1-4 in downtown Charlottesville, with the theme Renaissance. Schedule comes later.

Last checked 2026-10-19. Facts come from the Virginia Center for the Book’s festival page, linked below. This page is updated for each year’s festival at the same address.

The Virginia Festival of the Book returns April 1-4, 2027, in Charlottesville, a move from the March weekend it has held for years. The organizer, the Virginia Center for the Book, says it has run the festival for three decades, bringing writers and readers together at venues across downtown. The 2027 schedule and authors have not been posted yet.

Know before you go

  • When: Thu. April 1 to Sun. April 4, 2027
  • Where: venues around the Downtown Mall and Main Street
  • Theme: Renaissance
  • Schedule: not posted yet; check the festival page
  • Contact: Virginia Center for the Book, 434-924-3296, books@virginiahumanities.org

When it is

The festival’s 2027 submission guidelines give the dates as April 1-4, 2027, in Charlottesville. The organizers chose “Renaissance” as the 2027 theme, which they say was “prompted by our new April date” and explores “restoration, renewal, rebirth, revival, repair, and creative flourishing.”

The author submission deadline was Sept. 8, and the organizers expect to be selective, so the full lineup follows later. Most of the books on the 2027 program will be ones released between March 2026 and April 2027, the guidelines say. Authors are mostly placed on panels of two or three with a moderator, with very few solo talks.

Last time: the 2026 festival ran March 20-22, 2026, with a preview event on Thursday, March 19, according to its 2026 festival site. Highlights included a talk by photographer Sally Mann on Art Work: On the Creative Life and a Same Page community read with Sadeqa Johnson, author of The House of Eve.

Where it happens

The festival is “centered around the Charlottesville Downtown Mall and Main Street Area,” the 2026 venues page says, with some events outside central Charlottesville. The bigger ticketed talks have been held at the Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St. The 2027 venue list has not been published.

Tickets and registration

In 2026, festival events were booked through an online registration on the festival site, and the headline talks at the Paramount were sold as separate tickets. Prices for 2027 have not been announced. This page will carry them when registration opens.

Parking and getting around

The festival is spread across downtown venues within walking distance of each other. Street parking near the Downtown Mall is limited; the Downtown Charlottesville parking guide lists the garages. Charlottesville Area Transit buses and the downtown trolley are free to ride; schedules are on the city’s transit page.

Year-round events

The Virginia Center for the Book, a program of Virginia Humanities, runs author talks and workshops between festivals, listed on its events page. Volunteers help run the festival each year; to offer help, email books@virginiahumanities.org or call Virginia Humanities at 434-924-3296.

The Virginia Festival of the Book falls the same weekend as the Charlottesville Marathon on Saturday, April 3, 2027, which starts and finishes at Market Street Park downtown. For more spring events, see things to do in Charlottesville.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Virginia Festival of the Book 2027?

April 1-4, 2027, in Charlottesville. The festival has moved from its usual March dates to April this year.

When was the 2026 Virginia Festival of the Book?

March 20-22, 2026, with a preview event on Thursday, March 19, at venues across downtown Charlottesville.

Where is the Virginia Festival of the Book held?

At venues centered on the Downtown Mall and Main Street area of Charlottesville, with some events outside central Charlottesville. The Paramount Theater hosts the largest talks.

What is the theme of the 2027 Virginia Festival of the Book?

Renaissance. The organizers say it explores restoration, renewal, revival, repair and creative flourishing, prompted partly by the new April date.

Who runs the Virginia Festival of the Book?

The Virginia Center for the Book, a program of Virginia Humanities, at 233 Fourth St. NW in Charlottesville. Call 434-924-3296 or email books@virginiahumanities.org.