The 2026 Portland Book Festival Welcomes Food This Year

The 2026 Portland Book Festival, a Literary Arts production, takes place in Portland from Monday, November 2 to Sunday, November 8. This year they’ve made a number of changes, including the opportunity to attend six food-focused events. I’m pretty excited about this and am happy to share more info about it here.

2026 Portland Book Festival: The Basics

This brief summary from the Portland Book Festival website sums it up as well as I could, so I’m including it here:

“Formerly known as Wordstock, PBF was founded in 2005 by Portland writer Larry Colton. In 2015, Literary Arts revived the festival after a two-year hiatus. In the years since, PBF has earned the title of the largest festival of books and storytelling in the Pacific Northwest and continues to grow in popularity.”

2026 Portland Book Festival Event Locations

Since this event takes place over a week—up from being a single-day event for most of its existence—multiple venues will be participating. There will be 10 stages at these locations:

Portland Art Museum—pop-up events in the main building galleries, 1219 SW Park Avenue
Mark Building—book and exhibitor fair, 1119 SW Park Avenue
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway.
Various theaters inside Hatfield Hall, 1111 SW Broadway.
The Judy Kafoury Center, 1000 SW Broadway, T-100.
The First Congregational United Church of Christ, 1126 SW Park Avenue.
The Old Church, 1422 SW 11th Avenue.
Shemanski Park, 1010 SW Park Avenue.

Portland Book Festival 2026 Tickets

There are a selection of tickets, which you can purchase on their ticketing page. Ticket levels are (Note: fees are involved):

General Admission Festival Pass: $0 to $20.
Umbrella All-Access Pass: sold out, but you can join the waitlist.
Readers Night Pass: $25 to $40.
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall Events: $5 to $45.
Newmark Theatre Events: 35.

2026 Portland Book Festival Food Events

Book for the 2026 Portland Book Festival.

The food-oriented events are Friday, November 6 to Sunday, November 8, and take place mostly at restaurants on the east side of Portland. Here’s the rundown:

Friday, November 6

5pm to 8pm, Chai Pani x Bollywood Theater: A Diwali Celebration
🎟️ A la carte menu and special event.
Bollywood Theater, 2039 NE Alberta Street

“Bollywood Theater will serve a special menu inspired by recipes from Meherwan Irani’s book, “No. 1 Best Indian Cookbook in the World,” alongside its own Diwali-inspired menu. It’s a gathering of longtime friends, great food, and two books that reflect different sides of a shared life in restaurants.”

6pm to 9pm, A forgotten collection of Italian cookbooks comes to life.
🎟️ Reservations required. Tickets are $85, purchase here.
Nostrana, 1401 SE Morrison Street, Suite 105

“Cathy Whims is welcoming Italia in Bocca director Robert Serrini, an expert and passionate champion of these remarkable books, “In Bocca.” Robert will mingle with guests throughout the evening and document the dinner as part of a short film about Roma in Bocca.”

Saturday, November 7

3:15pm to 4:15pm, Happy Snacking, Don’t Die!: Alexis Nikole Nelson.
🎟️ Tickets are $35, purchase here.
Newmark Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway

“Alexis Nikole Nelson, the beloved social media sensation known as the Black Forager, discusses her long-awaited guide to foraging, sometimes even in your own backyard, and vegan cooking. Interviewed by OPB’s Crystal Ligori.“

Sunday, November 8

1pm to 3pm, The Hot Dog Cookbook Party with Farideh Sadeghin
🎟️ Tickets are $30-50, purchase here.
L’Echelle, 4537 SE Division Street

“Farideh will be joined by Peter Cho of Han Oak, Mika Paredes of L’Echelle and Chef Sam Smith, each creating their own take on the hot dog inspired by recipes from ‘The Hot Dog Cookbook.'”

5pm to 7pm, Nixta Taqueria x OK Chicken
🎟️ No special ticket required.
OK Chicken & Khao Soi, 3226 SE Division Street

“Portland Book Festival welcomes Austin’s James Beard Award-winning and MICHELIN-recognized Nixta Taqueria to town. For one day, OK Chicken will make room for Nixta, to offer a special menu featuring dishes from the beloved Austin taqueria alongside the OK Chicken menu. Edgar and Sara will be on hand to meet guests, hang out, and sign copies of the new book, “Nixta Taqueria Presents: From Tacos to Tahdig.” Bring your copy along, or pick one up onsite, and get it signed by the authors.”

5pm to 8pm, Soju Party: One for the Books at Han Oak
🎟️ No pre-paid ticket required. Food and drinks available à la carte. RSVP required. Reservations open on October 10.
Han Oak, 511 NE 24th Avenue, Portland

“Close out Portland Book Festival with a special edition of Soju Party, celebrating Korean food, drinking culture, and Irene Yoo’s James Beard Award-winning cookbook, ‘Soju Party: How to Drink (and Eat!) Like a Korean.’ Expect Han Oak favorites and anju-inspired bites alongside specialty soju + wine cocktails with CHO Wines, and plenty of reasons to raise a glass. Irene will be there celebrating the book, with copies available for purchase throughout the evening.”

Really loving all the food events happening this year at the Portland Book Festival. I hope you’ll be able to attend one or more of these great times.

2026 Portland Book Festival
Monday, November 2 to Sunday, November 8, 2026.
Food events Friday, November 6 to Sunday, November 8, 2026
Multiple locations
Portland Book Festival website | Instagram | Facebook

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