Edible Book Festival - General Information

The 16th Annual Edible Book Festival will be held April 1, 2023 at Martinelli’s Market! Watch our Facebook page for updates.

 

Register here! (Registration is not required, but helps us plan for space)

What is the Edible Book Festival?

Around April 1st, bibliophiles, book artists, and food lovers around the world gather to celebrate the book arts and the (literal!) ingestion of culture.  Participants create an “edible book,” which can be inspired by a favorite tale, involve a pun on a famous title, or simply be in the shape of a book (or scroll, or tablet, etc).  All entries will be exhibited, documented, then EATEN!  Photographs of all edible books will appear in the Edible Book Festival gallery.

The Champaign-Urbana Edible Book Festival is sponsored by the University Library, and supported by the generous help of campus and community volunteers and prize donors. It is a fundraiser to support the crucial work of the Wesley Food Pantry.

Information and Tentative Schedule for the 2023 Edible Book Festival

The Edible Book Festival will be held  April 1, 2023.

Schedule of events:

2:00pm: Participants may begin dropping off their entries at Martinelli’s Market.

4:30pm: Judging begins

5:00pm: Public viewing begins

5:45pm: Introduction from hosts, Martinelli’s Market and Wesley Food Pantry

6pm: Judge’s commentary and awards

6:15pm: Let’s eat!

2023 Festival Award Categories

Starting to think about your edible creation for this year’s festival? Consider fitting your entry to one or more of these categories!

• Best Depiction of a Classic
• Best Visual Presentation
• Most Appetizing
• Funniest/Punniest
• Best Entry Based on Book for Children or Teens
• Best Collaborative Creation
• People’s Choice

Who can participate?

Whether you’re a professional chef or just like to play with your food, the festival is open to anyone in the U of I & Champaign-Urbana communities. For inspiration, take a look at entries in the galleries below.

If you don’t have time to make your own edible entry, join us in admiring and taste testing the entries at 5:00!

Join us on Facebook to get the most up-to-date information on the festival!