YallFest 2025

BY SKYLAR BLACKMAN

YallFest, a young adult book festival that takes Charleston, SC by storm, made its mid-November entrance this past weekend of November 14th-15th with floods of book lovers, publishers, and authors taking over King Street and surrounding areas. There’s a multitude of activities and paths to take with this unmissable bookish event of the year, and it surely did not disappoint, no matter what type of reader you are. Whether you’re a collector, a panel lover, or a fan, there is something for you at this festival.

For the collector, tables on tables, posters, social media posts, contests, etc. all promising an avenue of receiving and winning free books and bookish paraphernalia as well as Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs) of bound manuscripts of books soon to be released. Big name publishers in the young adult/teen literature world such as Wednesday Books, Penguin Teen, Simon Teen, Sourcebooks Fire, Underlined, and soon-to-be announced Mayhem Books (see you in 2026), worked endlessly hard all weekend from the wee hours of the morning to the last trickles of daylight to keep readers happy and excited about the new releases to come and the representation of current books that have already earned the title of their favorite. You could easily spend an entire day planning your course of collecting said books without it costing you a single penny… Unless you perhaps attempt to deliver food or a nice cold drink to your spot in line. Be advised, making friends in line will help the wait times go by much quicker. Then again, this is your space and time to rave about books unapologetically to a stranger. Take it full steam ahead! Also, note taken this year, a foldable utility cart is the way to go for transporting your loot and having a makeshift seat for waiting in lines. Absolutely genius!

For the panel enthusiast, the lineup this year touched so many bases it was difficult to choose between them all! If you’re a writer, interested in writing, or just curious about how authors reach and articulate their ideas, this is the event for you at YallFest. There were panels on creating your group of characters, organizing and outlining your thoughts for a story and how you’d like them to happen, the variety of journeys to authorship you could have, and even how to write across multiple audiences and genre types. The opportunities to access helpful advice and insight on how your favorite authors got to where they are today is so abundant and I could probably pick their brains on these processes all day if they’d let me. Needless to say, keep your notebook stocked and ready for the moment they open up audience questions if you intend to be spotlighted like that for a mere 30 seconds. You really never know what treasure trove you’re entering into with these and that’s part of what makes the mystery of them so enjoyable.

Finally, a third option available for YallFest is your chance to meet your favorite authors and have books signed and personalized by them. Aside from collecting free books and merchandise, this is probably one of the largest draws for the festival and one of the primary plans of readers in attendance. Now, one thing I did learn from this year is that it is highly important (and honestly quite beneficial) to line up for said signings well in advance of the posted time. Yes, this does mean in most cases that you’ll still be waiting a minimum of 30 minutes to an hour before the signing time and the author is ready, but it also means that you’ll be one of the first to meet them and shave off your wait time in between the signing and the next plan/event that you have after. I haven’t met an author that wasn’t just as enthusiastic about meeting the last person in line versus the first ever, but there’s just something about catching them early while they’re pumped and full of energy. It’s just a heart-filling experience to be able to chat with them and tell them how impactful what they do really is. Watching their faces light up with that is just as satisfying as looking at how happy their readers are, if not more. It’s their “I made it” moments unfolding in front of you even if they may be on their tenth book and an old pro at this.

With all of that said, this was my second year at YallFest, but truly one for the books (pun intended)! There is never a shortage of things to do, sights to see, books to buy and figure out how to haul back home, and new friends to be made. The atmosphere is easily one of the best at any festival I’ve been to and everyone is so accepting of each other it almost doesn’t feel real at times. So, if you’re a reader and looking for a way to let loose and celebrate your passion for it, YallFest is the event to be at. You’ll have a full schedule with freebie collection, activities and games with them, author signings, panels, and plenty of space for book shopping as well. There is a lot happening at once and it can feel difficult to keep track of, but rest assured that regardless of whether or not you do all the things you hoped while there, you will absolutely leave feeling happy, fulfilled, and seen. If you wind up in Charleston, SC in November and want perhaps one of the best examples of connection and community, YallFest is the place to be.

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SKYLAR BLACKMAN

Skylar Blackman is a daydreaming writer and traveler seeking the moments and spaces that harvest joy and connection among others. Originally from Connecticut, she now lives in Burlington, NC where she geeks out about music and books, and works on her writing alongside her full time job. When she’s not working, she’s getting all the Corgi cuddles, soaking up inspiration from the locals, reviewing and sharing books, and finding the nearest spot to explore or music event.

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