Los Angeles Libros Festival 2026

The Los Angeles Public Library throws its biggest bilingual book party of the year this Saturday, and it takes over the Central Library downtown. The eighth annual Los Angeles Libros Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on September 26, timed to Latino Heritage Month, and the library says admission is free. If you're scrolling for LA events this weekend that work for a seven-year-old and a grandparent at the same time, this one is hard to beat.

Who's on the lineup

This year's program is the largest the festival has put together: 25 programs, 17 authors and two musical acts, with artists representing eight countries. The featured guest is Reyna Grande, the author of "The Distance Between Us," her memoir about crossing from Mexico as a child. She'll talk about her newest book, "Migrant Heart: Essays on Things I Can't Forget."

Kids who already know the picture book shelf will recognize John Parra, the bestselling author and illustrator whose folk-art style shows up in a long list of bilingual titles. And the music includes Mariachi Arco Iris de Los Angeles, which bills itself as the world's first LGBTQ+ mariachi.

What to expect inside

Storytelling happens in Spanish and in bilingual sessions, so nobody needs to be fluent in either language to follow along. Self Help Graphics & Art, the Boyle Heights printmaking studio, is running art workshops. So is Tía Chucha's Centro Cultural from Sylmar. There's a typewriter poet writing custom bilingual poems on request, which makes a better souvenir than most tote bags.

The library is also bringing in the Guinness World Records' largest pop-up book. Plan a few minutes in line for that one; it's the thing every kid will want a photo with.

The festival is co-presented with LA librería, the only bookstore in Southern California that specializes in Spanish-language children's and young adult books, and REFORMA Los Angeles, a group that pushes for library services for Latinos and Spanish speakers. Expect plenty of books for sale if you want to take a story home.

Practical info

The Central Library sits on West 5th Street in downtown, across from the Bunker Hill Steps. The 7th St/Metro Center station on the A, B, D and E lines is a short walk, which beats hunting for weekend parking in the financial district. Families with strollers should aim for the morning, before the afternoon crowd builds.

The full schedule of sessions is posted on the library's own festival page at lapl.org/libros, and questions go to librosfest@lapl.org. The library runs more Latino Heritage Month programming through the rest of the month, including baile folklórico, storytimes and movie screenings.

For more things to do in Los Angeles, browse our festivals listings or everything else happening around Los Angeles. Grande's talk is the one to build your day around, so check the schedule and get there early for a seat.