TX HR1475

Texas House of Representatives congratulates the Texas Book Festival on its 30th anniversary in 2025

Founded in 1995 by Texas First Lady Laura Bush and Mary Margaret Farabee, with the first festival held in November 1996

Annual fall festival draws over 40,000 attendees and features more than 250 authors from around the world, including author presentations, panels, book signings, and cooking demonstrations

Year-round programs include Reading Rock Stars and Real Reads, which bring authors and illustrators to schools, and Texas Library Grants for public libraries

Organization has donated more than 188,000 books to students in Title I schools and over $3.6 million to public libraries