Summer is just about tapped out, and the season for scholars has arrived. As we turn the page to fall, we’re tilting our attention to new ideas, new challenges, new classes, and yes… new books.
Speaking of which, the next few weeks boast a handful of excellent events for the L.A. book lover, including kid-friendly literary festivals, a bookish celebration of teachers at Vroman’s, special readings for Banned Books Week, and a rare books spectacle at Union Station. They’re (almost) all free to attend and (definitely) all Metro-accessible. And that last bit reminds us about one of our favorite reasons to get around town using public transit: You can read while you ride!
Now let’s take a look at where you might be headed.
2024 Los Angeles Kids Book Festival (Sep 8)
The 2nd Annual Los Angeles Kids Book Festival is back at West Hollywood Park on September 8 with a full day of programming and entertainment. Expect 70+ exhibitors, live book readings by celebrated authors, interactive storytelling sessions, musical performances, meet-and-greets with authors, face painting, photo booth, arts and crafts, and more. Free to attend! Go Metro: Take Line 4 to San Vicente / Santa Monica or Take Line 16 to San Vicente / Santa Monica.
REMINDER: This is a good time to shout out the Metro GoPass program, which lets students of participating L.A. County K-12 schools or community colleges ride all Metro buses and trains for free. The free rides also extend to a group of regional transit agencies including Antelope Valley Transit Authority, City of Commerce Transit, Culver CityBus, Foothill Transit, Glendale Beeline, GTrans, LADOT Dash, La County Shuttles, Long Beach Transit, Montebello Bus, Norwalk Transit, Pasadena Transit, Santa Monica Big Blue Bus and Torrance Transit!
Teachers’ Night Out! at Vroman’s in Pasadena (Sep 14)
Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena celebrates the return of fall semester with their annual celebration of teachers and librarians featuring an evening snacks, beverages, staff recommendations, special discounts and goodies (including books!) to give away. The event starts at 6 p.m. and is free to attend, but RSVP is required. Go Metro: Take Line 180 to Colorado / Oak Knoll.
LéaLA (Sep 19-22)
The University of Guadalajara USA Foundation’s LéaLA returns to LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes for 2024 with a four-day literary festival promoting reading and books in Spanish and celebrating culture and the arts for the Latino community. the Expect a packed lineup of children’s workshops, performances, readings, and presentations, all free to attend. Go Metro: Take the A, B or D Lines to Union Station.
ALOUD in Revue: Banned Books (Sep 22)
Banned Books Week is an annual awareness campaign promoted by the American Library Association and Amnesty International, which runs from September 22-28 for this year. Here in Los Angeles, the week kicks off with a special presentation of ALOUD hosted at Central Library’s Mark Taper Auditorium featuring guest actors (including Sharon Stone, Amy Brenneman, Jason Butler Harner, and Stephen Tobolowsky) live reading selections from a few of the more than 4,000 books that have been banned in our country from public and school libraries. Program starts at 3 p.m. Make sure you reserve your free ticket in advance. Go Metro: Take the A, B, D, E, or J lines to 7th Street / Metro Center Station.
Los Angeles Libros Festival (Sep 28)
Capping off Banned Books Week, the 6th annual Los Angeles Libros Festival hosts full day of entertainment featuring Spanish-language and bilingual storytelling, musical performances, authors, workshops, books, and community. Free and open to the general public. Runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Go Metro: Take the A, B, D, E, or J lines to 7th Street / Metro Center Station.
Rare Books L.A. (Oct 5-6)
If old school books are more your style, swing over to Union Station for Rare Books LA. Hosted at the the historic Ticket Concourse, the two-day event boasts 50+ exhibitors showcasing antiquarian books, maps, and ephemera. Programming features a slate of Saturday talks, including a presentation from Metro Archivist Claire Kennedy on the ways in which Metro’s collections speak to the rich human narratives of life in Los Angeles. Admission is $23.18 on Saturday, $15 on Sunday, or $28.52 for a weekend pass. Go Metro: Take the A, B or D Lines to Union Station.
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