YA Lovers Are Heading To #YALLFest this Weekend!

YALLFest is an annual November event in Charleston, South Carolina, celebrating young adult literature and its authors. Essentially, it’s a book festival that brings together fans and readers from all over the globe. (West Coasters may be more familiar with YALLWest, the May equivalent that takes place in Santa Monica, California.)

Each year, dozens of authors make their way to the event, which takes place in and around local indie bookstore Blue Bicycle Books on Upper King Street. Some of this year’s biggest names include Jenny Han (To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before), Victoria Aveyard (The Red Queen), Soman Chainani (The School for Good and Evil), and James Patterson! You can find a complete list of authors for the event here.

Events are scheduled Friday/Saturday, Nov 9th-10th. Here’s a breakdown of all the major panels:

Friday, November 9th:

2PM – YALLCRAWL: Readers will have the opportunity to browse books early and sneak signings with favorite authors in various parts of town.

3:30PM – FIERCE FRIDAY: Event sponsored by Fierce Reads that gives readers early access to many Macmillan authors. To include giveaways, signings, crafts, games and more.

4:00PM – PENGUIN TEEN RED CARPET PREVIEW: The festival’s annual kick-off event, where big-name YALLFest authors walk the red carpet.

4:30PM – FOODIE FAN-ATICS: Disney authors and their fans team up to take part in food-and-kitchen themed antics, including cooking, trivia and more, led by Short Grain food truck’s Chef Shuai Wang.

Saturday November 10th:

9AM – Coffee and Cider Giveaway with NOVL: Enjoy a beverage with NOVL

9:30AM – I LOVE YA BREAKFAST HOUR: Head down to the Blue Bicycle for a pop-up breakfast tent filled with fans and authors alike.

10AM – OPENING KEYNOTE: Authors Jenny Han and Morgan Matson

11AM – 4PM – OPTIONAL PANELS: Choose your own festival adventure! Dozens of panels and signings take place throughout Saturday. Choose which ones to attend (some may be ticketed). A full schedule is available here, along with descriptions.

5PM – CLOSING KEYNOTE: Authors R.J. Palacio and Neal Shusterman

6PM – YA SMACKDOWN: The event’s grand finale, hosted by Soman Chainani and Brendan Reichs. YA authors square off over goofy games and challenges. Readers can watch the fun and get to know their favorite authors.

While the festival and all the signings are free to attend, several panels this year are ticketed and range from $7.50-$15 each. Tickets can be purchased online in advance.

Are y’all going to #YALLFEST? Are you already there? Let us know in the comments, or Tweet this post!