Booksville, Volume II

Mother and daughter duo JC Kato and J.C.² display their books at Booksville Festival in Brooksville, Fla., on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. [Photo by Hanna Maglio]

Festival Brings Thousands to Brooksville for a Celebration of Literature

Booksville Festival, Volume 2, drew thousands of readers, writers, and families to the Hernando County Fairgrounds on Saturday, January 24, transforming the space into a celebration of Brooksville’s long-standing literary heritage. Hosted by the Brooksville Woman’s Club, the free, day-long festival featured local authors, hands-on activities, live readings, spelling bees, costume contests, and collaborative art projects that invited participation from all ages.

For Woman’s Club President and local author Natalie Kahler, Booksville was intentionally designed as more than a traditional book fair.“My intent was to create a celebration of all things literature. Not just by purchasing books, but interacting with authors, literature-inspired art, costume contests, and spelling bees. Anything to tie to love of reading and books,” said Kahler.

A costume contest at the Booksville Festival, Volume 2. [Photo by Noelle Pappas]

That philosophy helped distinguish Booksville from other literary events in the region. “None of them have book binding activities or the interactive activities we offer. The author readings are special to this event, too. Registration was open to Hernando County authors first and then spaces were opened to underrepresented genres who reside outside of the county.”

After the overwhelming success of the inaugural festival on Brooksville’s Main Street, organizers quickly realized the event needed room to grow. “We outgrew our space on Main St. very quickly,” said Kahler, “and we made the decision to move to the Hernando County Fairgrounds.”

The new indoor setting allowed more than 60 local authors to participate while keeping books, readers, and authors comfortably under cover. Vendors were placed outside, and contests and readings were hosted in the fairgrounds’ large indoor area.

Booksville’s growth also reflected the strength of the local writing community. “I am astonished by how many authors we have in Hernando County. This event was about celebrating the fact that we have so many writers locally, and we saw them from age 10 to 85.”

The festival was inspired by the Woman’s Club’s milestone anniversary and its historic role in the community.“I started this because the Woman’s Club was having their 115th anniversary,” Kahler said. “The club is the longest serving nonprofit in the community. The first thing [the Woman’s Club] did was open our local library.”

That connection resonated strongly with attendees. The first Booksville Festival drew an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 people, a response that confirmed the community’s appetite for literary programming.

Attendees peruse the free books table at Booksville on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. [Photo by Hanna Maglio]

Kahler said she was looking at “cultivating a culture that celebrates the arts in general. So many other forms of art have been tapped, but not literature. When we started this event, people came running. For our inaugural event, we saw over 3,000 people.”

Local authors, sponsors, and volunteers responded with equal enthusiasm. “Sponsors all came back from last year and they all saw the value. The authors brought even more books than last year. We saw over 4,000 people this year.”

Fan-favorite events such as the spelling bee and costume contest returned, drawing large crowds and active participation from families. “These are great opportunities for kids to learn and practice public speaking.”

The Booksville Anthology and Community Poem also made their return, reinforcing the festival’s mission to foster creativity year-round. “Some people won’t read a whole book, so the short stories featured in the Anthology are more accessible. We also introduce many authors in these editions, which is a great way for them to get recognized.”

For Kahler, these projects reflect Booksville’s deeper purpose. “Booksville is not just a one-day event, but a cultivation of literature in Hernando County.”

President Natalie Kahler, Vendor Coordinator Betsy Ahrens Faigrounds Manager Richard Klimas [Photo by Noelle Pappas]

With a growing lead team and expanding partnerships, the organizers are already thinking carefully about what comes next. “We have 18 people on the lead team that work together to figure out what this festival looks like. Size, footprint, sales, and everything in between.”

Programs such as library card sign-ups, free book giveaways, and partnerships with retired teachers and local nonprofits helped reinforce the festival’s educational mission.

An author reading at the Booksvile Festival, Volume 2. [Photo by Noelle Pappas]

As attendees left the fairgrounds carrying armfuls of books and memories, Booksville Festival, Volume 2, affirmed Brooksville’s place as a community that values literature, both from the past and still waiting to be written.