More than 60 authors are set to fill the Middleton Community Center on Main Street this Saturday, November 7, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., as the Fifth Annual Author Palooza returns bigger than ever. The free event has outgrown its original home, and organizers say a waiting list of hopeful authors has formed as the festival's popularity keeps climbing.
According to the Middleton Public Library, the Fifth Annual Author Palooza is returning to Middleton on Saturday, November 7 from 11 to 3 pm. That timing lines up with last year's hours, when the fourth annual event ran from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and was free to attend, according to a Middleton Public Library post on Nextdoor. This year's gathering, however, has shifted venues: organizers moved the event to the Middleton Community Center to accommodate the growth, as reported by Idaho News 6.
From a Trolley Station to a Community Center
Last year's Author Palooza was held at the Middleton Trolley Station Event Center, per the library's Nextdoor announcement, which expected over 40 local Treasure Valley authors attending. This year's jump to more than 60 authors expected continues a pattern of steady growth that organizers say pushed the event past its original venue's capacity. The festival began in 2022, when organizers had planned for about 25 authors but ended up with roughly 18 to 20 at that first gathering at the Middleton Trolley Station. Last year's event drew 42 authors, according to Idaho News 6 reporter Victoria Rodriguez, who covers stories from Canyon County.
Organizers reportedly tried different dates before settling on November as the sweet spot for the annual fair, the station's report notes. Admission remains free, continuing a tradition the library's Nextdoor page confirmed for the 2025 event as well.
Dragons, Tattoos and a Mobile Bookshop
Beyond the shelves of books, this year's Author Palooza leans into interactive fun. Families can take part in a dragon-themed activity inspired by the novel Fourth Wing, with children walking across a straw-bale obstacle before discovering which miniature dragon chooses them, per the same account. Younger attendees also get stickers, while the event's seven vendors sell book-themed merchandise including tumblers, Kindle accessories and custom sprayed book edges.
MJ Artistry is offering flash tattoos and piercings on site, and visitors can grab a bite or a drink from a food truck, a drink vendor and the Cheeky Library mobile book trailer, according to the report. Readers can also complete a book passport activity by meeting authors across different genres and collecting stamps, with completed passports entering visitors into a drawing for book bundles and additional items donated by vendors.
Genres Span From Fantasy to Memoir
Visitors can browse fantasy, romance, thrillers, crime, mystery, historical fiction, memoirs, young adult and children's literature at the Saturday fair. Among the authors is Amy Marin Rice, who writes middle-grade fantasy adventure books; her Fuzzwigs series features magical portals, fantasy creatures and adventures inspired by Idaho, the outlet reports. Another participating author writes small-town romance novels set in Idaho communities, with books ranging from sweet, closed-door editions to spicier versions.
Organizers describe the Author Palooza as a chance to connect readers with authors, discover independent writers, and find new books — a mission that has carried the event from a modest trolley-station debut in 2022 to its new home at the Community Center this weekend, per Idaho News 6.
