Date: June 1, 2025
Time: 11:00am – 5:00pm
Location: Downtown Berkeley, California
After participating at two previous Bay Area Book Festivals in 2022 and 2024, we went into this year’s book festival with modest expectations. Our sales during those two events were barely sufficient to warrant the time and effort required to participate, but we decided to give it one more try.
This year, instead of being held at Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park as it had been in past years, it was held on the streets of downtown Berkeley, chiefly along Allston Way. That location, we believe, made all of the difference. Holding it along the streets give the festival much more of a street festival vibe and it seemed to attract much larger crowds than during previous years. There was rarely a time throughout the entire day when there was not someone perusing our titles.
The weather started off overcast and cool, with a very slight breeze. (That was a bit of a relief after the scorching outdoor temperatures at the Sacramento Book Festival the day before.) The temperature remained cool and comfortable throughout the day, with the sun making its determined appearance a little after noon. We had a lovely location under an enormous oak tree, so there was plenty of shade throughout the afternoon.
Paper Angel Press authors Mitchell Sam Rossi and Rachel Zemach were present to promote their books. Representing Water Dragon Publishing was authors Brian C.E. Buhl, Melissa M. Buhl (also pulling double duty representing Cupid’s Arrow Publishing), Vanessa MacLaren-Wray, and Steven Radecki. Kelley York, Arlo Z. Graves, Hannah Rebekah Graves, and Mark London Williams represented Graveside Press.
In recent years, the Bay Area Book Festival has decided to only have vendors there on Sunday; it seems like Saturday would be a better choice of the two days of the event. This year, though, there was enough attendance that it might not have mattered. And it was not competing for attendees from the Sacramento Book Festival as had happened last year. Plus, it’s likely that they did not want to block off all of those streets for the entire weekend.
Based on this year’s experience, however, we will most likely decide to participate in Bay Area Book Festival again next year—particularly if they decide to hold it along the streets again.