2026 Features & Attractions

Something for everyone!

Adult & Young Adult Workshops

Adult workshops are located in various venues around the festival grounds.

CAPITOL LAWN 

  • 9:00 am – Stay: A Yoga Workshop  

CAPITOL ROOM 202 

  • 9:30 am – USM Creative Writing Workshop 
  • 10:45 am – Love & Disaster: Writing About that Bad Decision You Made with Steve Almond 
  • 12:00 pm – Pet Sounds: Writing About the Animals We Love with Steve Almond 
  • 1:30 pm – From Song to Stanza: A Poetry Workshop 
  • 2:45 pm – What Happens Next?: A Fiction Workshop  

A young adult workshop is located in First Baptist Church.

FIRST BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP HALL EAST 

  • 9:30 am – The Principle of the Iceberg: Writing Stories with Mystery 

As Told by Sir

Presented by The Walker Foundation

See your heart etched in verse. Visit our poet in residence, Steven Randle, on the festival lawn and have a poem tailored and typed just for you… crafting your story, as told by SIR. 

Authors Alley

Presented by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi 

More than 100 authors and artists are positioned to sell their most recent works in large tents along Mississippi Street and N. West Street, all day. 

Book Signing Tent

Presented by Butler Snow

Don’t miss out on your chance to meet your favorite author one-on-one in the book signing tent, located on the south lawn of the Capitol! Participating Official Panelists will be available for book signings at appointed times. 

Booksellers Row

Independent booksellers are showcased at the center of the festival, directly across from the Book Signings Tent, along Mississippi Street and N. President Street, all day. 

  • Ashley Lauren Natural Products LLC
  • Bella’s Too Cute Boutique
  • Bookends LLC
  • Carpe Librum
  • Jackson State Bookstore / Follett Higher Education
  • Lemuria Books
  • Liberation’s Publishing House
  • Luna Press
  • Marked Bookmarks
  • Mississippi Museum of Art
  • OffBeat
  • Revival Press & Publishing
  • Rose & Pearl Publishing LLC
  • Sister Macs
  • Solander Press
  • Three Fortnights Press
  • Turnrow Books
  • University Press of Mississippi
  • Unroll the Scroll

Capitol Showcase

See inspiring exhibits on the ground floor of the Capitol Building in the Rotunda throughout the day.

  • Margaret Walker Center at JSU 
  • USM Dale Center for the Study of War & Society
  • Mississippi Humanities Council
  • Chickasaw Inkana Foundation

See hallway exhibits on the ground floor of the Capitol Building in the hallway leading to Room 113 throughout the day.

  • USM de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection
  • USM Center for Writers

Capitol Tours

10:00 am - 4:00 pm, every hour on the hour, starting at the ground floor visitor’s desk. 

Virtual tours will be available on the fourth floor in Room 402.

Community Lawn

Presented by Amazon

Organizations (non-profit, government, charitable) have it made in the shade with a provided tent and table on the south lawn of the Capitol grounds. No sales are allowed in this area, but there’s lots to see and share, all day!

  • ACLU of Mississippi
  • Big House Books
  • Briarwood Arts Center
  • Capitol Street Books Foundation
  • Eudora Welty House & Garden and Eudora Welty Foundation 
  • Human Rights Campaign
  • Jackson Friends of the Library
  • JXN Book Club
  • Madison County Library System
  • Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience (The MAX)
  • Mississippi Center for Justice
  • Mississippi College School of Law
  • Mississippi Free Press
  • Mississippi Heritage Trust
  • Mississippi Public Broadcasting
  • Mississippi State Committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts
  • Mississippi United
  • Mississippi Votes
  • Mississippi Writers Guild
  • MSU’s College of Arts & Sciences’ Humanities Camp
  • National Folk Festival
  • Operation Shoestring
  • The Garden Club of Jackson
  • Visit Clarksdale
  • Visit Vicksburg
  • WT3 FOUNDATION

Cooling Station

Presented by Carole & Chuck Grant

Take a break under the trees! Settle in, kick back with a book, and enjoy the chiller fans on the west side of the festival.

Food Trucks

Various food options are located along N. West, N. Congress & N. President Streets.

N. WEST STREET

  • Beach Babe Beignets of Mississippi 
  • Chill Factory 
  • The Good Guys Mobile Kitchen 
  • Green Ghost Tacos*
  • Jerk City Grille
  • Lucy’s Lemonade
  • Sweet Sips and Sticks
  • ‘Sippsi Good Tea*
  • Squigglers, LLC 
  • T & J Concessions

N. CONGRESSS STREET

  • Grab‘N’Go
by  Hal & Mal’s

N. PRESIDENT STREET

  • Bee Bee’s Fresh Squeezed Lemonade 
  • Crunch Time Concessions
  • The Frosty Flamingo Italian Ice
  • Gabzlyn Picklessss 
  • Grumpy Dave’s Kettle Korn 
  • Homegirl Beverage Company*
  • Smokey’s Meal on Wheels
  • Sno Biz

*vegan options

Get2College Mobile Center

Presented by Woodward Hines Education Foundation 

Your future is pulling up! Step inside for free, one-on-one help making your college plans a reality.

JHLS Bookmobile

Presented by Jackson/Hinds Library System 

Discover what your local library has to offer, plus enjoy free Wi-Fi, free books, and a little bookmark-making fun!

Kids Tent

Presented by The Phil Hardin Foundation

  • 9:00 am – Curious George’s 85th Birthday Party: Celebrate 85 years of everyone’s favorite curious monkey, with cookies, photos, and plenty of fun.
  • 10:15 am – Llama Llama Rapping Storytime: Jackson rapper Stephen Brown, aka 5th Child, raps the bedtime classic Llama Llama Red Pajama. 
  • 11:00 am – Choctaw Traditions: Experience Choctaw tradition through story, song, and dance with Jay Wesley, Director of the Department of Chahta Immi for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.
  • 2:00 pm – Mississippi Poetry Project: Poet Laureate Ann Fisher-Wirth welcomes student winners from across the state to read their work.
  • all day – Color Your Own Festival Art

Kids Workshops

All kids workshops are located in the Galloway Tween Room.

  • 9:30 am – Turn the Page: Curious George Discovers the Stars
  • 10:45 am – One Mississippi with Steve Azar & Sarah Frances Hardy 
  • 12:00 pm – Turn the Page: Thirteen Chapters: Creative Writing for Kids!
  • 1:30 pm – Every Voice Has a Story: A Prose Workshop for 12 & Up!

Lawn Lounge & Live Music

Presented by Volunteer Mississippi

Chill out in the shade while listening to the Delta Krauts (10:00 am - 2:00 pm) and enjoying your food truck selections.

Merchandise Tent

Shop our merchandise tent at the center of the festival for 2026 keepsakes!  

Adrienne Domnick was selected to create this year’s festival art, “Capitol of Dreams.” You’ll find it on posters and signed/numbered fine-art prints as well as comfy t-shirts and sweatshirts, roomy totes, fun mugs, and calendars.

MLC Center for the Book

Presented by Mississippi Library Commission

Don’t miss the Center for the Book in the Capitol Cafe at the south entrance of the Capitol. Cool off while your kids enjoy games, fun learning activities and more!

MPB Kids Club

Presented by Mississippi Public Broadcasting

In the west wing of the Capitol ground floor and in Room 103, meet MPB’s Ed Said for fun activities, giveaways, and educational resources.

Official Panels & Workshops

Lively discussions among Official Panelists are held throughout the day at these venues: 

  • State Capitol Building: C-SPAN / Old Supreme Court | Room 113 | Room 201 A | Room 201 H | Room 202 | Room 204
  • Galloway United Methodist Church: Sanctuary | Reception | Fellowship Center | Tween Room
  • First Baptist Church: Fellowship Hall East

Photo Op

At the heart of the festival, look for the giant cube on The Capitol Mall for a great place to commemorate your visit with friends and family!

Toot, Teach & Roll

Presented by Toot, Teach & Roll Foundation

Toot, Teach & Roll is a mobile learning lab bringing education and creativity directly to festival-goers through hands-on activities. Create your perfect reading companion at our "Book Buddies" stuffed animal station, capture memories in our photo and video booth, and enjoy other activities that make learning an adventure for children and adults alike.