Frequently Asked Questions

The Tarpon Springs Book Festival takes place in downtown Tarpon Springs, Florida on Court Street and the Mother Meres parking lot. Additional indoor spaces include the Tarpon Arts Cultural Center (101 Pinellas Ave), the Tarpon Springs Historic Train Depot Museum (160 E Tarpon Ave) and the Tarpon Springs Public Library (138 E Lemon St).

General Admission is free at this time, and includes access to all panels, workshops, author talks, and signing lines. Please note, all scheduled programming is first come first serve, and based on capacity limits. 

The Gilded Page is the official bookstore sponsor of the festival, and will be selling books by the headlining authors in their booth located in the Vendor Showcase. You can also purchase books from their store ahead of time to bring with you, or you can order ahead on their website for event pickup.

You're welcome to bring your books from home to have them signed by the headlining authors as well as authors in the Vendor Showcase. A maximum of 2 books per author will be allowed in the signing line. Books purchased from The Gilded Page will be given priority in the headlining author signing lines should line capacity be reached.

The author signing lines will follow each panel or talk. The keynote speaker and panelists will be signing in The Gilded Page booth, located outside the Cultural Center in the Vendor Showcase. Each author will only be signing for one hour. Signing lines are first come first serve, and signing lines will be closed should they reach capacity. Please refer to the Programming page for more info about signing times.

We recommend that you wear comfortable walking shoes and lightweight clothing, including hats & sunglasses, as many portions of the event are located outdoors in the Florida heat. While free water will be available at the aid station, and food vendors will be selling beverages, we also recommend bringing a reusable water bottle to stay hydrated.

All public parking areas, including city lots and street parking, are free and first come first serve. There may be additional private parking available as well for a small fee. Please revisit this site to access the parking map closer to the event date.

If you are a vendor, please refer to the designated vendor parking map that will be emailed to you in your vendor packet.

All festival venues are accessible to all. Mobile public restrooms are available in the Mother Meres parking lot in the heart of the festival. Accessible public restrooms are also available on Tarpon Avenue and in the library.

Due to the nature of historic plumbing, public restrooms are not available in the Cultural Center or Train Depot Museum.

Vendor applications have closed for 2026. Keep an eye out for when 2027 applications open later this year!

Sponsorship is available through the Tarpon Springs Downtown District, a Florida Main Street nonprofit. Please visit the sponsor page for more details.