Be Our Guest Saturday, February 28, 2026, to celebrate the 8th Tulare County Library Book Festival at the Visalia Branch Library, 200 W. Oak Ave., Visalia, CA 93291, from 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. This free event celebrates literacy, learning, and community while featuring award winning authors, a poetry workshop and spoken word performances, storytime with Belle and the Beast, a Buffalo Soldier presentation, community partners, and much more. There truly is something for everyone.
Meet featured authors with Central Valley connections, ask questions, and purchase books for signing throughout the event. This year’s featured authors include:
Margarita Engle is an award-winning author of novels in verse for young readers, including The Poet Slave of Cuba, Enchanted Air, and The Firefly Letters. Her work often explores history, culture, and the power of storytelling, and she has received numerous honors including the Newbery Honor. Come to hear about her books, including Wings in the Wild featured in many of our branch book clubs, at 12:00 p.m.
Gary Soto is a nationally recognized poet, novelist, and memoirist whose writing reflects everyday experiences. An author who grew up in the Central Valley, he writes for children, teens, and adults, including the books Too Many Tamales and Buried Onion. Soto’s work is widely taught and celebrated for its warmth, humor, and authenticity. Join him at 11:00 a.m. to hear about his most recent middle grade book Gone Viral about the instant fame of two kids from Visalia.
Attendees can sign up for a poetry workshop led by Loud Mouth Poetry starting at 9:00 a.m., then bring their interactive spoken word skills to the festival at 10:00 a.m. In addition, community resource groups offer opportunities to connect with local organizations and services.
Bring the little ones to Be Our Guest at storytime at 10:00 a.m. featuring Belle and the Beast and family-friendly activities throughout the day.
Listen to Dorian Yarnelson at 1:00 p.m., a historical interpreter and illustrator with California State Parks, talk about the Buffalo Soldiers’ storied legacy in the history of Black Americans, the American West, and United States Army. He has researched the historic trails of the Buffalo Soldiers for over 15 years. This presentation focuses on their remarkable contributions to the development of the state and national park systems here in California, including our own Allensworth State Park.
Inside the library, the Friends of the Tulare County Library groups host a book sale offering a wide variety of titles for readers of all ages and provide information on how you can join their groups. Also, stop by the Tulare County Library Foundation’s book sale, to buy featured author’s titles, learn about the Foundation, and discover ways to support the Library.
The Tulare County Library gratefully acknowledges the Tulare County Library Foundation and the Friends of the Tulare County Library groups for their support, leadership, and ongoing commitment to literacy and community engagement through the 2026 Book Festival. A very special thank you to The Family Healthcare Network for being an ongoing and wonderful sponsor for this event.