TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Tucson Festival of Books is drawing book lovers from across southern Arizona to the University of Arizona, where thousands are gathering to celebrate literacy, community, and local business.
Walking around the festival, you see people from the community laughing and having a good time — but you also see businesses benefiting from the extra exposure.
Jeff Kaiserman said the event is a significant opportunity for local vendors.
"It's great for small businesses in Tucson."
Kaiserman said the festival's foot traffic translates directly into revenue.
"It supplements probably a week or two worth of business being down here for two days."
Beyond the economic boost, the festival is also raising awareness for children's literacy. Leslie Stirm, the owner of Instrumental Music Center, said the exposure doesn't end when the event does.
"We get a lot of people residualy after the show coming down to our store on Speedway and Kolb. They come down and go wow it's the same kind of experience."
Among the hundreds of booths lining the University of Arizona campus, visitors can also find the Reading Pig booth. Nicholas Clement, who works the booth, said he uses events like this to spread joy and children's literacy — and to give away thousands of dollars worth of reading supplies.
"We also have expanded to donating book vending machines along with books to schools."
On Sunday morning, the Reading Pig gifted $10,000 worth of supplies to Maldonado Elementary School in Drexel Heights.
One attendee shared their enthusiasm for the event.
"I wish there were more of these. They should consider a Fall festival as well."
The neighbors and businesses at the festival say the hundreds of booths lining the University tell the story — and they're already looking forward to spreading literacy next year.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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Marc Monroy joined KGUN 9 as a multimedia journalist after moving from KGUN 9’s sister station, KXXV, in Waco, Texas. He graduated from California State University, Northridge, in 2024 with a degree in journalism. A native of Southern California and a bilingual reporter, Marc is excited to serve Southern Arizona and looks forward to connecting with neighbors in the community. Share your story ideas and important issues with Marc by emailing marc.monroy@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.
