MAIN STREET STAGE

Located Outside on El Camino Real at Main Street

10:00AM- Second Chance at Love with Yourself

REBEKAH WEATHERSPOON

MELISSA WHITNEY

PANEL PRESENTED BY:

JEANNIE CHOE

VICTORIA LUM

MODERATOR- GISSANE SOPHIA

11:00AM- Let’s Talk About It: AI in the Humanities and the Arts

CONVERSATION PRESENTED BY:

LUCAS CANTOR SANTIAGO

DARYLE WILLIAMS

12:00PM- More Than Paradise: Storytelling Inspired by Hawaii's History and Culture

KAUA MAHOE ADAMS

MODERATOR - SOPHIE KANNO

PANEL PRESENTED BY:

JASMIN ‘IOLANI HAKES

1:00PM- Writing Community in Conversation with Dashka Slater

IN CONVERSATION WITH

DASHKA SLATER

2:00PM- How SoCal and Our Subcultures Have Influenced Music

PANEL PRESENTED BY:

JEFF PEARLMAN

NATE JACKSON

MODERATOR- CHARISMA MADARANG

3:00PM- The Art of Uncovering the Real Story: California Journalists Talk Identity, Family and Belonging

CONVERSATION PRESENTED BY:

YUSRA FARZAN

ERIKA HAYASAKI

SANDY TOLAN

GUSTAVO ARELLANO

4:00PM- Secrets and Shadows: Crafting Suspense Across Genres

PARTICIPATING AUTHORS

SANDRA CHAWIALKOSKA

ASHLEY TROPEA

LISBET WENCES

LAUREN LEE SMITH

EL CAMINO STAGE

Located Outside on El Camino Real at Second Street

10:00AM- We the Readers: Native Influences on U.S. Governance-- Promises Kept and Broken

MODERATOR- GABE BALTZ, OF THE GABRIELENO-TONGVA TRIBE

HEIDI LUCERO, JUANENO BAND OF MISSION INDIANS ACJACHEMEN NATION

PRESENTED BY & BOOKS DONATED BY:

DR. THOMAS “TJ” REED, ONEIDA NATION OF WISCONSIN

DR. SARAH WHITT, CHOCTAW NATION OF OKLAHOMA

11:00AM- How to Think Like a Criminal

CHRISTOPHER FARNZWORTH

GEORGIA JEFFRIES

PANEL PRESENTED BY:

JAMIE PARKER STICKLE

MODERATOR- LEE GOLDBERG

12:00PM- Raising Belonging: Nurturing Identity, Culture, and Race in Modern Parenting

PANEL PRESENTED BY:

LESLIE PRISCILLA

FARZANA NAYANI

MODERATOR- NANCY BROWN

1:00PM- Ask a Publisher: Conversation with Local Small Presses

DAVID A. ROMERO, EL MARTILLO PRESS

BRENDA VACA, RIOT OF ROSES PUBLISHING HOUSE

MARY VENSEL WHITE, TYPE EIGHTEEN BOOKS

ERICA CASTRO, DAXSON PUBLISHING

PARTICIPATING LOCAL PRESSES:

2:00PM- Confronting the Terror Within and the Evil Without

CHLOE LAUTER

JOSEPH FINK

BRIAN ASMAN

PANEL PRESENTED BY:

SHANE HAWK

3:00PM- California Noir: Writing Dark Fiction in the Golden State

PANEL PRESENTED BY:

BARBARA DeMARCO-BARRETT

MODERATOR- SAM ROBERTSON

DC FROST

MARGARET ELYSIA GARCIA

THIRD STREET STAGE

Located Outside on Third Street at Prospect Avenue

10:00AM- Poets Laureate in Conversation

PARTICIPATING POETS LAUREATE

LEE HERRICK, CA POET LAUREATE

CLARA MEJIA-YUAN, YOUTH POET LAUREATE OF ORANGE COUNTY

ALEXANDRA UMLAS, 2027 ORANGE COUNTY POET LAUREATE

MODERATOR- LIZETH DE LA LUZ

CAMILLE HERNANDEZ, ANAHEIM POET LAUREATE

THE INAUGURAL TUSTIN YOUTH POET LAUREATE WILL BE ANNOUNCED AS PART OF THE POETS LAUREATE CONVERSATION.

11:15AM- Poets in Conversation

PARTICIPATING POETS

EMCEE- JOSH WOOD

11:15AM

in conversation with

ALEXIS JAIMES

DONATO MARTINEZ

11:40AM

JEREMIAH COBRA

IDRIS GOODWIN

in conversation with

12:25PM

in conversation wtih

MARCUS OMARI

MIMI TEMPESTT

1:00PM- Breath of Fire Anthology Fuego!

ELIZABETH ISELA SZEKERESH

ADRIANA ALBA

ANATALIA VALLEZ

2:00PM- OC Slam Poetry

3:00PM- Rhymes & Vibes: Youth Open Mic

GOT A POEM, A PAGE OF PROSE, OR A SONG YOU WROTE? STEP UP TO THE MIC!

WHETHER YOU ARE SHARING FOR THE FIRST TIME OR ARE AN EXPERIENCED YOUTH SPOKEN-WORD ARTIST, THIS IS A WELCOMING SPACE FOR YOUTH TO LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD.

ALL CREATIVE STYLES ARE WELCOME!

4:00PM- Playwriting Workshop

PRESENTED BY:

PARTICIPANTS WILL ENGAGE IN WRITING PROMPTS TO TAP INTO INSPIRATION FOR A CURRENT PROJECT, ONE YOU WANT TO EXPLORE, OR TO WRITE FOR THE FIRST TIME!

DRAWING FROM YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, COMMUNITY, AND CURIOSITY YOU WILL LEAVE THE WORKSHOP WITH NEW WRITING.

NO PREVIOUS PLAYWRITING EXPERIENCE IS NECESSARY- JUST CURIOSITY AND IMAGINATION!

Workshop led by:

ELIZABETH ISELA SZEKERESH

C STREET STAGE

Located Outside on Third Street at C Street

10:00AM- Super Star Story Time with Chudney Ross

PRESENTED BY:

10:30AM- Super Star Story Time with Katrina Tangen

Katrina’s mother & sister will be reading “Ramp It Up!”

10:45AM- Super Star Story Time with Alexandra Katona

Reading of “Finding My Wave”

11:00AM- Celebrating Picture Book Month with AAPI Joy!

PANEL PRESENTED BY:

PATRICIA TANUMIHARDJA

SHIHO PATE

NATASHA KHAN KAZI

MODERATOR- JHOANNA BELFER

JOCELYN CHUNG

CHRISTINE ALEMSHAH

12:O0PM- Super Star Story Time with Brooke Knows Ball, Brooke Lazinski and Joel LaFlamme

Reading of “Brooke and the Maple Street 9”

12:15PM- Super Star Story Time with Patricia Tanumihardja with Illustrator Shiho Pate

Reading of “Fried Rice Surprise”

12:45PM- Super Star Story Time with Mara James

Reading of “The Power of Piggie Bear”

1:00PM- Super Star Story Time with Felicity Figueroa of OC Equality Coalition

1:15PM- Super Star Story Time with Pride at the Pier

Reading of “Grace for President”

1:30PM- Super Star Story Time with Idris Goodwin

Reading of “Don’t Drop the Mic”

1:45PM- Super Star Story Time with Christine Alemshah

Reading of “Bea's Balikbayan Box of Treasures”

2:00PM- From Recess to Real Life: Writing Books Kids Want to Read

PARTICIPATING MIDDLE GRADE AUTHORS

SARA AMINI

TRACY BADUA

PRIYA SWAMINATHAN

MODERATOR- DESI ST. AMANT

3:00PM- Super Star Story Time with Heidi Rojas

Reading of “I Am Enough: Soy Fuerte Ya”

3:30PM- Super Star Story Time with Aram Kim

Reading of “Tokki's Tricks: A Korean Folktale”

3:45PM- Super Star Story Time with Tootie Nienow

Reading of “For Always Friends?”

4:00PM- Super Star Story Time with Cynthia de la Torre

Reading of “Flowers for Tia Luz Maria”

4:15PM- Super Star Story Time with Rachell Abalos

Reading of “Our Nipa Hut”

4:30PM- Super Star Performance by OCSA Thespians Troupe #6826

Performing a Spanish Translation of “If You Take a Mouse to School”

Food Stage

PRESENTED BY:

Located on the Corner of El Camnino and Third Street

10:00AM- UC Master Food Preserver

Sauerkraut! Easy and Tasty!

The UC Master Food Preservers of Orange County will be at the OC Book Fair- Volume 3 demonstrating how to make sauerkraut, showing you how easy it is to make, and provide you with a handout so you can make it yourself at home.

11:00AM- Julie Mai Tran

IN CONVERSATION WITH

JULIE MAI TRAN

1:00PM- Delilah Snell

IN CONVERSATION WITH

DELILAH SNELL

SARAH MOSQUEDA

3:00PM- Jessica Gavin

IN CONVERSATION WITH

JESSICA GAVIN

Senior Center

Located on C Street at Second Street

10:00AM- Super Star SENSORY FRIENDLY Story Time and Activities with Leah Khoury

11:00AM- Read It, Repeat It, Share It- Reading Games for Home

Empowering Readers OC shares simple-to-implement reading games to engage your children at home. What if reading time felt less like homework and more like play? In this workshop, you'll learn three games grounded in the science of reading that turn your child from a listener into a partner in the story. They work for children just starting to read and for those working through their first chapter books. You don't need special training or materials, just a book and a few minutes together. Come see how a small change in how you read together can make a big difference at home.

PRESENTED BY:

12:00PM- "I Am": The Power of Story Exploring Identity Through Poetry Workshop

In this creative and reflective workshop, participants will craft their own “I Am” poems to explore identity, culture, and lived experience. Through guided prompts and storytelling, we will celebrate the many layers that shape who we are, and how our individual stories connect to community, belonging, and justice. Together, we’ll use poetry and dialogue to honor difference, affirm voice, and build empathy. This space invites connection, reminding us that when we share our stories, we help create a world where everyone feels seen and valued. Attendees will have opportunities to display/share out their poems. 

PRESENTED BY:

WORKSHOP LED BY ANGEL ZAVALA:

1:00PM- MASC Poetry Workshop: Exploring Identity Through Poetry, featuring Lee Herrick, CA State Poet Laureate

PRESENTED BY:

2:00PM- The Incredible You Adventure Book: A Storytelling Adventure with Life Size Interactive Book

Join The Incredible You Adventure Book for an unforgettable storytelling adventure featuring a life size interactive book. Children literally step into the pages, become the characters, and bring each story to life. At TIYA Book, children don't just hear the story...they live it!

Illustrator’s Corner

Located on Outside on Third Street at El Camino Real

10:00AM- Carrie Schneider

Create your own “safe space”! Enjoy guided drawing of astronaut self-portraits and LGBTQ-affirming planets. 

11:00AM- Su Moon

Reading of “Vlad Is Mad!” followed by a drawing demo, and a craft focusing on big feelings.

12:00PM- Benson Shum

1:00PM- Shiho Pate

2:00PM- Joy Hwang Ruiz

Story Time and a Drawing Demonstration From the Book with Prompts

3:00PM- Emmanuel Guerrero

4:00PM- Lisa Johnston Hancock

Reading of Santiago and Great Bear with demo on how every character starts with basic shapes! Kids will learn to draw their own version of Great Bear.