Festival will host Saturday night cinema under the stars

On Saturday, screenwriter John August will introduce his film "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," starring Johnny Depp, at a 7 p.m. screening in Main Gate Square.

The free movie will be shown on a giant 30-by-30-foot outdoor screen near University Boulevard and Tyndall Avenue.

There will be 300 to 500 seats; seating is first come, first served.

Event-goers also can catch the show from the balcony of Gentle Ben's, 865 E. University Blvd.

The screening is sponsored by Cox Communications and the Marshall Foundation in conjunction with the Tucson Festival of Books.

Parking info and tips

Parking at the Festival is free. Six University of Arizona parking garages and the campus surface parking are available.

If you're coming from south of campus, try the Sixth Street Garage. If you're coming from the north, try the Highland Avenue Garage (you'll have to take a short walk under the underpass). If you're coming from the west, try the Tyndall Avenue Garage or the Main Gate Garage. If you're coming from the east, try the Cherry Avenue Garage. Here's a link to more details and a full-sized map.

UA Library Special Collections plans special Saturday with 2 exhibits

The University of Arizona Library Special Collections will open its doors to festival-goers Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with two exhibits.

PaperWorks, the Sonoran collective for paper and book artists, will have "artists' books" set up for visitors to view. Artists' books are limited-edition, often small, visually entertaining books that are meant to be experienced.

The one-day celebration of these special books, hosted by Friends of the University Libraries, will also feature a panel discussion with authors/artists on how to read artists' books. The panel runs 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.

You could can also check out Special Collections' current exhibit - "Curtain Call," a large collection of vaudeville treasures. The exhibit features costumes, posters, texts and other artifacts from that entertainment genre.

Special Collections is outside the UA Main Library, on the southwest corner of University Boulevard and Cherry Avenue.

Festival links at a glance

• Festival updates and latest news
• Festival web site
• Disability access, accessible parking, and requesting Sign Language interpreters
• Authors A-Z
• Authors by genre
• Authors' pavilion list
• For parents and educators
• Events
• Children/Youth Events
• Exhibitors
• Food at the Festival
• Get the Festival app
• Become a Friend of the Festival
• Newsletter archive
• Weather forecast (it's going to be beautiful!)

Where out-of-town Festival guests can stay

We're grateful for the participation of nearly two dozen hotel sponsors in this year's Tucson Festival of Books.

Out-of-town visitors will find wide variety of locations and prices. Many of the participating hotels are offering special Festival of Books rates. Here's where to get rates and reservations.

Volunteer sign-ups