Yeah, yeah, I know it’s kind of far, but don’t miss the First Annual Gaithersburg Book Festival this weekend! Join authors and fellow literary fans on Saturday, May 15, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Gaithersburg City Hall Grounds. With a panoply of author workshops and book signings, all for my favorite price of FREE, who could ask for more? OK, maybe a free shuttle from the metro, but no more than that.

From the website:

The Gaithersburg Book Festival is an ambitious project, built to become the premier annual literary event in the region. It will feature presentations, book sales, and book-signings from Authors of both national and local acclaim, as well as workshops for aspiring writers and activities for children. Thousands of people will come from across the region to hear writers of all kinds tell the stories of the characters – both real and fictional – we love to read about, about the craft of writing, and about the business of books, newspapers, and electronic media.

Ambitious indeed! But wholly welcome. If you’re in the area this weekend, don’t miss the opportunity to mingle with dozens of local authors, including Alice McDermott, David Hoffman, Matt Latimer, and James Reston, among many, many others. If you can’t make the event, check out the Q & A videos on the main site featuring Eugenia Kim, Sarah Pekkanen, and David Stewart.

The Gaithersburg Book Festival will be held on Saturday, May 15, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the Gaithersburg City Hall Grounds (31 S. Summit Ave.). The event is free of charge, and free parking is also available. So you have no excuse!