Fall Fest 2026

7:30am: We will start our day by meeting in the lobby of our host hotel: The DoubleTree by Hilton Mission Valley San Diego 

8am: Catch the San Diego trolley and head to the UC San Diego Bookstore

List of stores we will be visiting:

• The UC San Diego Bookstore (board buses)
• Camino Books for the Road Ahead
• Warwick's
• Bird Rock Bookshop
• Lunch at Liberty Station Food Market + You Should Read
• Roseville Books
• Bay Books
• Libelula Books & Co

3:30pm: Buses will bring us back to the hotel

Please note, we do have ADA compliant seats available on each bus. If you require any special assistance, please reach out to Hannah Walcher so we can accommodate.

If you have any questions or need any special accommodations, please reach out to Hannah.

"San Diego is a book town! We have so many different bookstores & libraries. I love walking around our campus full of trees and bees. My favorite part of town is South Park, where The Book Catapult is located with several great food stops and cool shops in walking distance. Coffee, tea & panini's, vintage clothing, art, home decor, craft beer, wine bar, vinyl, fun stuff!"

—Teri Den Herder, UC San Diego Bookstore

View Teri's recommendations

"North County Love goes to the whole stretch of the Coast Highway from Torrey Pines State Park north through Del Mar all the way to Carlsbad. A string of towns look out over a line of beautiful beaches facing the Pacific. Stop for coffee at Little Joy Coffee Bar and Wine Shop; Del Mar Plaza where Camino Books is; Fish 101 in Solana Beach (and Leucadia); the walk along the bluff from Cardiff to Encinitas; Swami's lookout and garden; Prager Brothers Bakery in Encinitas; and the whole town of Leucadia ending at the beach at Batiquitos Lagoon. California in its beach town prime!" 

—John Evans, Camino Books: For the Road Ahead

"When in San Diego, it’s hard to make the wrong choice in things to do! You can head to the cove in La Jolla and see some seals before hitting the beach yourself, head to snapdragon stadium to see the San Diego Wave show the soccer world how its done, or grab a book and listen to the Spreckles organ at Balboa park."

—Mallory Groff, Warwick's

"Bird Rock is a nice little chill community famous for a couple of good surf breaks, Bird Rock Coffee Roasters, and the Wayfarer Bread Bakery. It is the buffer that separates the busy beach vibes of Pacific Beach and the bustling La Jolla village."

 —Jodi Bratch, Bird Rock Bookshop

"Our shop is located inside Liberty Public Market in San Diego's historic Liberty Station, a beautifully restored former Naval Training Center that's now home to more than 300 local businesses. Just minutes away are our favorite places to explore: the breathtaking coastal trails of Sunset Cliffs and the vibrant neighborhood of Ocean Beach, known for its quirky charm, independent shops, iconic dog beach, and fantastic restaurants. What we love most about San Diego, though, is its incredible community of creatives, makers, and small businesses. It's the kind of city where a tiny bookshop that started at a farmers' market can grow into a beloved neighborhood destination. We feel incredibly lucky to call it home." 

—Yulia Konovnitsyna, You Should Read

"What I love about San Diego is that it is still growing. There are unseen pockets of neighborhoods to explore and new areas that are creating community and opportunity. In Point Loma, folks should check out the La Playa Trail just a few blocks from our bookstore, originally traced by the Kumeyaay people. I like to grab fish tacos from Point Loma Seafoods and walk the trail to Kellogg's Beach for lunch. From there you can imagine the ships in the late 1700's unloading goods and following the trail in to Old Town and the Mission de Alcala."

—Amy Hesselink, Roseville Books

Bay Books is an independently owned bookstore serving Coronado and San Diego County for over 30 years. They specialize in new titles, indie favorites, military history, young adult and children's books.

"Libélula Books is a community rooted space dedicated to uplifting BIPOC Queer identity, histories, and storytelling. Come Cruise the 
shelves, get curious and there is no telling what
you will find amongst the curated titles, vintage goodies, and cats." 

—Jesi Gutierrez, Libélula Books & Co

7:30am: We will start our day by meeting in the lobby of our host hotel: The DoubleTree by Hilton Mission Valley San Diego 

8am: Catch the San Diego trolley and head to the UC San Diego Bookstore

List of stores we will be visiting:

• The UC San Diego Bookstore (board buses)
• Mysterious Galaxy
• Through the Fold
• Library Shop Mission Hills
• Lunch at Liberty Station Food Market + You Should Read
• Hey Books!
• Book Catapult
• Meet Cute

3:30pm: Buses will bring us back to the hotel

Please note, we do have ADA compliant seats available on each bus. If you require any special assistance, please reach out to Hannah Walcher so we can accommodate.

If you have any questions or need any special accommodations, please reach out to Hannah.

"San Diego is a book town! We have so many different bookstores & libraries. I love walking around our campus full of trees and bees. My favorite part of town is South Park, where The Book Catapult is located with several great food stops and cool shops in walking distance. Coffee, tea & panini's, vintage clothing, art, home decor, craft beer, wine bar, vinyl, fun stuff!"

—Teri Den Herder, UC San Diego Bookstore

View Teri's recommendations

"San Diego is more than great weather: it's a big, international city full of diverse, unique neighborhoods that make it feel like a bunch of small towns. It's full of people who love the outdoors, breweries, and dogs. Outside of visiting the many indie bookstores in the county, we enjoy exploring Balboa Park (which includes the San Diego Zoo and many museums), sampling the different restaurants in Little Italy and North Park, and spending the day at Liberty Station in Point Loma." 

—Matthew Berger, Mysterious Galaxy

"I love San Diego's character. You get the benefits of a big city, but every neighborhood has its own small community feel and personality. I grew up in a suburb in the south where everything was strip malls and big chains. Here, we have neighborhood markets, indie bookstores (of course), and shops and restaurants where you are likely to see the owners working because they live in the area. You get to know people and we take care of each other." 

—Jennifer Medeiros, Through the Fold

Favorite place to go: La Jolla Shores beach

"We love that every season in San Diego is beach read season and every indie bookstore in town has its own vibe. We're probably biased, but our favorite spot in San Diego is the Downtown Central Library, home to the original Library Shop, especially the can't miss ninth floor rooftop under the dome which is also home to the Hervey Family Rare Book Room." 

—Scott Ehrig-Burgess, Library Shop Mission Hills

"Our shop is located inside Liberty Public Market in San Diego's historic Liberty Station, a beautifully restored former Naval Training Center that's now home to more than 300 local businesses. Just minutes away are our favorite places to explore: the breathtaking coastal trails of Sunset Cliffs and the vibrant neighborhood of Ocean Beach, known for its quirky charm, independent shops, iconic dog beach, and fantastic restaurants. What we love most about San Diego, though, is its incredible community of creatives, makers, and small businesses. It's the kind of city where a tiny bookshop that started at a farmers' market can grow into a beloved neighborhood destination. We feel incredibly lucky to call it home." 

—Yulia Konovnitsyna, You Should Read

"East Village San Diego's Analog Alley is the perfect park-and-play day. We're also in San Diego's pastry playground and coffee capitol: from Ukranian sourdough at Shoreside Bakery to flakey savories at Relic Bakery; from the city's best coffee and matcha at Rikka Fika to the comfy hangout of Tori Cafe to the wild style and breakfast tacos at The Invigatorium, East Villiage will get your taste buds buzzing. Oh, and we share our block with Tajima Ramen, Pokez Mexican, and Hodad's burgers and shakes. So... see you here!

What do we really love about our neighborhood? It's the most diverse, cooperative, and down-to-earth area in the city. Our regulars include seniors who drop in every day to say hi, often rubbing shoulders with international tourists and celebrity visitors."

—Matthew Hein, Hey Books!

View Matthew's recommendations

"I love our little secret San Diego neighborhood of South Park, actually. It's filled with small, locally owned shops, restaurants, bars & breweries and its streets of mid-century homes are highly walkable, bikeable, and tree-lined. But my favorite San Diego place to visit (outside of The Book Catapult, naturally) has got to be Balboa Park. 1,200 acres of gorgeous city park, filled with museums and walking paths and grassy fields right in the middle of the city. Perfection." 

—Seth Marko, The Book Catapult

"People always talk about the weather in San Diego, and they're right, it's great. But what's really so special is what the weather enables. Year-round hiking, hundreds of perfect beach days a year, or, if you're me, truly spectacular farmers markets in every season nearly every day of the week. La Mesa's is Friday afternoons and my personal favorite, over in Hillcrest, is Sunday mornings." 

—Becca Title, Meet Cute Romance Bookshop

Breakfast Keynote w/Nicola Yoon (Gallery)

Join us for the kick off event featuring Nicola Yoon, Always One More Time (Delacorte Press) in conversation with Karin Yung (Linden Tree Books).

Tickets are needed to attend meal sessions. To purchase a meal ticket, go through the registration form and select the meal ticket.

Fiction Panel - Multi-Generational Patchwork (Shutters East)

Moderated by Jennifer Medeiros (Through the Fold)

• Julie Buxbaum, All Together Now (Avid Reader Press)
• K-Ming Chang, Needlemouth (Simon & Schuster)
• Holly Varni, A Perfectly Reasonable Plan (Thomas Nelson)
• Shirin Yim Leos, Of Wind and Dust (Penguin Random House/The Dial Press)

Education Session - First-Time Trade Show Attendee (Shutters West)

Learn how to make the most out of Fall Fest and other CALIBA Programs, no matter your role at your bookstore! Ask your questions and meet fellow members. Panel: Katerina Argyres (Noe Valley Books) and Claire Bone (Wild Sisters Book Co.).

Professional Booksellers School Education Session - Author Event Basics (Brickstone)

Starting or revitalizing your event series from step one! Brought to you by the Professional Booksellers School. Moderated by Julie Slavinsky (Warwick's).

Annual Meeting (Gallery)

Scholastic YA Author Panel - Where We Were, Where We Are, Where We Are Going! (Shutters West)

• Sharon Cameron, Up from the Ashes (Scholastic Press)
• Teri Dederer, Feast of Hearts (Scholastic Press)
• Ama Ofosua Lieb, Goldenborn (Scholastic Press)

ABA Education Session - Building a Bookstore Budget (Brickstone)

Education Session - You're a Bookseller Now What - Ask an Expert Roundtable (Shutters East)

In this session, you'll hear from three booksellers who have made careers out of bookselling and have the opportunity to ask your "what's next?" or "what else" questions. We also welcome booksellers to share their experiences! Panel: Jackson Tejada (Christopher's Books), Amanda Barillas (Vroman's) and Christina Pappas (Black Bird Bookstore + Cafe). 

Indie Press Rep Picks Lunch (Gallery)

Moderated by Jhoanna Belfer (Bel Canto Books)

• Olivia Hansen, Andrews McMeel
• Lindsay Ryon, Arcadia Publishing/The History Press
• Angela Engel, The Collective Book Studio
• Will Gawronski, Columbia University Press Sales Consortium
• Kathy Weiss, Europa Editions, Terrie Akers, Other Press
• Elise Cannon, PGW/Two Rivers/Ingram - Indie Titles
• Patricia Nelson, Princeton University Press
• David Goldberg, Pushkin Press
• Vicki DeArmon, Sibylline Press
  
• Joel Pinckney, University of Texas

Author Showcase: Adult Titles (Shutters West)

Moderated by Sarah George (Bookish Modesto)

• Lucinda Berry, Saving Noah (Poisoned Pen Press)
• Kiri Callaghan, The Hearth Witch's Guide to Spite & Spellwork (Poisoned Pen Press)
• Andy Callahan, Nobody Deserves This (Celadon Books)
• Aaron Philip Clark, All the Smoke (Amistad)
• Leila Farjami, Daughter of Salt (Trio House Press)
• Jamie Leigh Lorente, My Three Fathers (Sibylline Press)
• Foz Meadows, Godburned: Deluxe Limited Edition (Erewhon Books)
• Allison Mick, Dark Waves: A Great Lakes Gothic (Erewhon Books)
• Lauren Rowe, Hero: Deluxe Stenciled Edges (Kensington)
• Richard White, Finishing Nature: A History of California’s Environmental Crisis
  (W.W. Norton)

Author Showcase: Children's Titles (Shutters East)

Moderated by Amanda Klein (Bluebird Play)

• W. Kamau Bell and Adam Mansbach, Rock Paper Scissors Cheese (Farrar, Straus & Giroux)
• Elise Bryant, Jubilee Foster is Totally Fine (Quill Tree Books)
• Chris Charles and Tami Charles, That Beautiful Mind (Orchard Books)
• Phillip D. Cortez, Our Moon, Our Home/Nuestra luna, nuestro hogar: A Bilingual Board Book About Home and Belonging (Tiny Torch Books)
• Darcie Little Badger, Children of Owl (Levine Querido)
• DK Ryland, Splish (Astra Young Readers)
• Robyn Schneider, Spellfire (Penguin Young Readers; Viking Books for Young Readers)
• Kate O'Shaughnessy, A Season for Falling (HarperCollins / Storytide)

Children's & Adult Fiction Panel - Wild Life (Gallery)

Moderated by Michelle Bucud (Mysterious Galaxy)

• Alan Barillaro, Bunns Rabbit II: The Return of the Spirit Rabbit (Candlewick)
• TJ Klune, The Stars Look Like Home (Wildthorn)
• Maggie Tokuda-Hall, Bathtime for Snow Monkeys (Candlewick)

Exhibit Hall (Great Room)

Exhibit Hall Open (Great Room)

Caffeine, Connections & Committees (Brickstone)

Start your day with a caffeine pick-me-up and chat with fellow CALIBA members. Meet Committee members and volunteers, or just enjoy the company of fellow booksellers as you wake up. Committees in Attendance: TBA.

Rep Picks Brunch (Gallery)

Moderated by Zack Dubuc (Book Passage Corte Madera)

• Andy Weiner, Abrams
• Dave Ehrlich, Chronicle Books
• Julia Callahan, Hachette Book Group
• Suzi Hough, HarperCollins
• Kevin Peters, Imprint Group West
• Madison Dye, Macmillan
• Dave Suiter, Penguin Random House
• Andrea Tetrick, PGW/Two Rivers/Ingram Academic
• Kristin Rasmussen, Scholastic 
• Shannon Grant, Simon & Schuster
• Cortney Yee, Sourcebooks
• Joe Murphy, W.W. Norton & Company

Education Session - HR Session: Employee Handbook Workshop (Brickstone)

In this hands-on session, attendees will be led through the process of creating AND updating an Employee Handbook. Attendees will leave with a skeleton of a handbook and tips for always keeping it up-to-date. Moderated by Eileen McCormick (Green Apple Books).

Poetry & Essay Panel - Nature vs. Nurture (Shutters West)

Moderated by Matthew Hein (Hey Books!)

• Ashia S. Ajani, Tending the Vines: Black Abundance in Eight Plants (Timber Press)
• Laura Cunningham, A State of Change: California's Forgotten Landscapes (Revised and Updated) (Heyday)
• Mai-Linh Hong, Continental Drift (Trio House Press)

Mystery/Horror Panel (Shutters East)

Moderated by Lauren Salerno (The Undead Bookshop)

• Tananarive Due, Mazywood (S&S/Saga Press)
• Joseph Fink, The Nudge: A Psychological Thriller (Podium Publishing)
• DC Frost, A Shadow of Jaguars (Canis Major Books)
• Claudia Hagadus Long, Sisters at an Exhibition: A Zara and Lilly Mystery (Sibylline Press)

Education Session - Beyond Bookfairs: Alternative Ways to Work with Schools (Shutters East)

A panel of booksellers share ways that they've been working with schools, educators, and librarians—focusing on events and partnerships that aren't just traditional bookfairs. Panel: Grace Lane (Linden Tree Books), Jessica Palacios (Once Upon a Time) and Raquel Espana (Peninsula Book Collaborative). 

Education Session - Press Play: How Indie Bookstores Partner with Independent Publishers (Brickstone)

Independent presses are vital to a vibrant literary ecosystem and many booksellers have built lasting, fruitful relationships with them. In this session, veteran booksellers with decades of experience will share how they work with their favorite indie presses, what makes those relationships successful, and the titles they’re most excited about. Panel: Brad Johnson (East Bay Booksellers) and Paul Yamazaki (City Lights Bookstore).

Nonfiction Panel - We the People (Shutters West)

Moderated by TBA.

• Kelly Lytle Hernández, Racist by Design : Two Centuries of U.S. Immigration Control (W.W. Norton & Company)
• David Treuer, The Savage Mind (Little, Brown and Company)
• Robin D. G. Kelley, Making a Killing: Capitalism, Cops, and the War on Black Life (Metropolitan Books)

BINC Heads or Tails + Closing Remarks (Gallery)

2026 Golden Poppy Book Awards Ceremony

Tuesday, September 15th at 7pm,
followed by Wine & Dessert

Dress code: Cocktail Attire

REGISTER NOW

We are booksellers and we salute your personal fashion sense and originality. So, dress as you would at your store! For your well-being, we suggest wearing comfortable walking shoes.  We advise dressing in layers as Convention Centers are often cold. If you are invited to a publisher dinner, please check with the restaurant to see if they have any specific dress requirements. 

If you are traveling by plane, you may want to leave a little room in your luggage for ARCs distributed by our publishers.  You will be given one tote bag at registration, but it's always a good idea to bring a few more.  We do not have mailing services on site, so please plan accordingly.

If you would like to wear a mask we encourage you to do so, but you must bring your own. 

The hotel $40 self-parking for the full day. 

Our conference hotel is The DoubleTree by Hilton Mission Valley San Diego (7450 Hazard Center Drive, San Diego, CA 92108). Our room block pricing is $199 a night for single rooms and $219 a night for double rooms.  CALIBA conference rate ends 8/21/2026. Book your room here.

Fall Fest Trade Show '26 Carpool

Find a carpool buddy to the Fall Fest Conference. 
Bookseller Carpool Interest Form (login required)

Take the Flyer to Old Town Transit Center.
Take the Green line from Old Town Transit Center to Hazard Center.

Click here for more SD Trolley System Info

Bookseller Hotel Reservation (login required)

Confirmed exhibitors, authors, and reps please check your e-mail invitations for the hotel link or follow up with Hannah

• Mothership 
• Cafe Madeleine 
• Fall Brewing Company South Park Taproom
• The Rose Wine Bar
• Vinyl Junkies
• Bad Madge & Co.