Interior of Midtown Scholar Bookstore
Harrisburg Book Festival Returns October 15–19
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Asia Tabb
Interior of Midtown Scholar Bookstore
AIRED; October 2, 2025
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The Harrisburg Book Festival is back this year, running October 15–19, bringing together authors, readers, and literary enthusiasts from across the region. The festival promises panels, book signings, and special presentations that highlight a wide range of genres and creative voices.
One of the festival’s first-time participants, local author Lindsey Smith, shared her excitement about joining the event.
“I’m just thrilled to be there. I feel like there’s so much talent and so many amazing authors,” Smith said. “And I do want to say one thing. Shout out to Midtown Scholar, because when I wrote my very first book, it was a self-published book in 2012. They were the only bookstore that said yes to having me doing a signing back then. And so to come full circle and be a part of their book festival is just… amazing.”
Among the works Smith will showcase is her newest release, Bake It Off, a Taylor Swift-inspired baking book that combines culinary creativity with pop culture flair.
“Bake It Off is a Taylor Swift-inspired baking book. I love baking. Taylor loves baking. She’s in her sourdough girl era. And so this book really just highlights all kinds of puns and fun Easter eggs in the Swiftie verse put into a delicious baking book for all to enjoy,” Smith said. “There’s a little something for everyone in the book. There’s gluten-free, there’s vegan, there’s things like activity-style recipes.”
Smith collaborated with Kristin Richards of Front Porch Baking in Lancaster, P.A., to create recipes that not only taste great but also cleverly weave in references to Swift’s lyrics.
“Oh my God, it’s so much fun. I literally had the best time doing this,” Smith said. “She helped me write the recipes so that I could really make the headers and infuse all of the Taylor Swift verse things into it.”
Festival attendees will get a chance to see Smith’s playful approach firsthand. One of the book’s recipes, I Rose Up From the Banana Bread, is a perfect example of her clever wordplay:
“This easy banana bread is nutritious enough to keep your mind alive, but sweet enough to make you feel like you are feasting on a dessert. The bread derives its nutty flavor from an almond meal base while garnering most of its sweetness from maple syrup and overripe tomatoes. Pair with the mimosa for a weekend brunch and toast your real friends,” Smith said. “There’s a lot going on in there in the Swiftie verse. Folks that are familiar with her lyrics will probably see about six Easter eggs in it.”
The Harrisburg Book Festival promises something for everyone—from emerging local authors to unique, themed releases like Smith’s, ensuring that attendees can celebrate literature, creativity, and community over five full days of events.
