The Holland Community Center will host its fifth annual Desert Foothills Book Festival from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Holland Community Center, 34250 N. 60th Street, Scottsdale.

During the free event, patrons can meet local authors, browse and purchase signed books, enter raffles and support literacy in Arizona.

The Desert Foothills Book Festival celebrates the importance of reading in Metro Phoenix, especially the North Valley’s Scottsdale, Carefree and Cave Creek. The festival is designed for children and adults, creating an interactive, inclusive venue for readers and authors to connect.  

DEEPER DIVE: 10 Arizona restaurants make Yelp’s Top 100 Mexican food spots

This year, the festival features approximately 90 authors, and nearly half of them are new to the event.

“As we look back on celebrating five years of the Desert Foothills Book Festival, I am incredibly proud of the legacy we are building,” said Caren Cantrell, children’s author and chairperson of the Desert Foothills Book Festival. 

“What began as a small gathering in 2022 has grown into a vibrant event eagerly anticipated by readers and authors alike. The best part of hitting this milestone is knowing that our growth directly scales our impact, allowing us to fund vital youth literacy programs right here in our community.”

Net proceeds from raffle ticket sales support local literacy programs, such as “Creative Kids – Tell Me A Story.” 

Presented by the Holland Community Center, the program teaches children ages 8 to 10 the nuances of writing, illustrating, and speaking to spark their creativity and advance the art of storytelling. At the end of the six-week program, each child receives printed copies of their own books to share with friends and family at a simulated book fair.

Thanks to Once Upon a Book Club — which provides book subscription boxes and bookish gifts — the first 100 attendees will receive a free book and gift box. 

Dining options include the Dee-Lites food truck, specialty drinks from the Reckon Coffee Company and vegan desserts from Aaron’s Vegan Bakery.