Festival Day Schedule
Doors at nine. Opening ceremony at quarter to ten. Last conversation at two. The full running order, with panel descriptions and times, lands here closer to February 11.
Festival Day Highlights
How do the hours fall? Here's how we shape them, and you can jump straight to registration.
9:00 AM, Doors Open and Arrival
Check in begins. Explore the marketplace and get ready for an incredible day of storytelling!
9:45 AM, Opening Ceremony
The YA BY THE BAY team kicks off the day in Story Warrior Forum. The whole festival is in one room for it.
Keynotes, Workshops and Panels
Sessions run in parallel across our breakout rooms, so there's a real choice at every turn.
Signings All Day, Close at 2:00 PM
Signing and photo opportunities run throughout the day, so finding your author in the morning means you can say so right then!
Detailed schedule with session rooms and times will be available closer to the event date.
Register for the Festival
Thursday, February 11, 2027, 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the Tampa Convention Center. Every ticket is free.
Students, Free
High school students and younger attend completely free. Our donors make this possible so every student can participate.
Educators and Chaperones, Free
Teachers, librarians, and adult chaperones accompanying student groups also attend free of charge.
Bringing a Group?
Educators can register a whole group in one go, and families and groups of friends can register together the same way.
Coming with your school? Your district arranges attendance and your school handles transportation, so your teacher has this one covered. Questions either way, talk to our team or read the FAQs.
Your Track for the Day
Where does your class go first? With 2,000 students in the building, we set every class on a track, and every track gets the good stuff!
You Are Assigned a Track
Your school sets it before the day. It's your path through the building: which rooms, which order, which times.
Every Track Gets the Good Stuff
Keynotes, a hands-on workshop, author panels, and signing time. The order changes by track. What you get stays the same.
Downtime Is on Purpose
Time in the marketplace and the bookstore is scheduled in, so hanging out with a book is part of the day.
Want your track's stops hour by hour? We're building an interactive track map, coming soon! Track assignments and our 2027 programming are announced closer to the festival.
Running All Lunch Long
Some sessions run start to finish. Our crowd favorites go nonstop through lunch, so drop in whenever you land!
- Shark Tank But Make It Books
Pitch your story. - Truth or Dare Author Edition
Vulnerability and killer twists. - #BookTok Made Me Buy It
Storytelling in the age of social media.
Plan Your Festival Experience
Traveling to Tampa for the festival? We've got hotel, restaurant, and activity recommendations to make your visit unforgettable.