Portland Book Festival Sells Out for the First Time in Its History

Literary Arts, which organizes the event, announced that every ticket, including special author events and general admission passes, has been claimed. Due to this unprecedented demand, walk-up tickets will not be available at the box office on the festival day.

Originally founded in 2005 as the Wordstock Festival, the event was rebranded as the Portland Book Festival in 2015 after being acquired by Literary Arts. This year's festival will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. across 10 stages in six venues within downtown Portland's South Park Blocks, including the Portland Art Museum and various community spaces.

Notable participants include New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Yarros, who will discuss her book “Onyx Storm,” and Stacey Abrams, who will introduce her thriller “Coded Justice.” Both authors will feature in sold-out events moderated by OPB’s Dave Miller.

The lineup includes local authors such as Zoey Abbott, who will read from her latest picture books, and Omar El Akkad, who will participate in a discussion about contemporary American issues relevant to his novel “One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This.” Additionally, new authors like Jonathan Hill and Courtney Gould will present their works alongside established figures like Jess Walter and Renée Watson.

While the main festival occurs on Saturday, an event called Readers Night is set for Friday at the Portland Art Museum, also sold out, featuring giveaways and craft beverage sampling.

For those unable to attend the festival, the “Cover to Cover” program will offer literary events and readings across the Portland metro area through Sunday, many of which are free to the public. Festival organizers advise attendees to collect wristbands for entry into festival venues, which can be picked up in advance.