The fifth annual St. Pete Reads! Lit Fest takes over the Legacy Gardens at the Woodson African American Museum in St. Petersburg on Saturday, Nov. 7. The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., CL Tampa reported.
Children’s writers from across the country will gather for book swaps, illustrator meetups, workshops, and storytelling sessions. The Al Downing Tampa Bay Jazz Association will play live. Mary Corbett, a violinist with the Florida Orchestra, will take the stage too.
Several children’s authors and illustrators are on the lineup. Layesha Walton will present Galaxy Girl. Carole Boston Weatherford, who won the 2025 Children’s Literature Legacy Award, will share Black Hands: Builders of Our Nation.
R. Gregory Christie, an award-winning illustrator, will join in with Black Hands: Builders of Our Nation and Jazz Baby.
The Cultured Books Literacy Foundation runs the festival. This nonprofit works to get more kids and families reading in South St. Pete.
“I don’t believe reading should feel like something we have to do. It should be something we discover, enjoy, and share,” Lorielle J. Hollaway said.
Mark the date: Saturday, Nov. 7, at the Woodson African American Museum, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Entry is free, though organizers would like guests to register.