What’s On At
Merriweather District

Visitors attend Books in Bloom at Merriweather District.

Books in Bloom

The ninth annual Books in Bloom festival is back in Color Burst Park on May 10th.

2025 Authors:
Kwame Alexander – Why Fathers Cry at Night
Eric Puchner – Dream State
Laurie Frankel – Family Family
Andy Shallal – A Seat at the Table
Sue Fliess – So Many Books!
Ann Marie Stephens – So Many Books!
E. Ethelbert Miller
Howard County Poet Laureate Truth Thomas
Maryland Poet Laureate Lady Brion

Color Burst Park
6000 Merriweather Dr
Columbia, MD 21044

Symphony Woods Garage-
6275 Mango Tree Road
Columbia, MD 21044

Activations Include

  • Teachers Meet-up: Exclusive VIP reception for local educators at 10:00am – More details coming soon.
  • Authors interviews followed by live Q&A on two stages located within Color Burst Park & Mango Tree Road
  • Presentations from Howard County Public School student authors of the Navigating the Margins and Our Voice magazine
  • Outdoor Bookstore hosted by Busboys & Poets
  • Create your own flower bouquet by Calluna Flower truck
  • Stroller Valet- Enjoy complimentary stroller parking allowing you to navigate the festival with more ease
  • Signature Giveaway: First 200 guests will receive a signature ‘Bloom into Wellness’ writing journal
  • Books in Bloom Raffle win a Merriweather District Prize Pack featuring a variety of gift cards from local businesses and copy of each book highlighted in the festival.
  • Community Book Swap: Bring a pre-loved book to our Community Book Garden and pick a book to take home with you. Free to “plant”/pick a book.
  • Reading Garden with family-friendly crafts and activities, face painting and glitter tattoos
  • Wine Bar hosted by GameOn; Cocktail Bar hosted by Cured and 18th & 21st
  • Light bites available for sale from local restaurateurs
  • Immersive, Insta-worthy photo ops and interactives
Books in Bloom 2024

Presented by

Howard Hughes
DTC Partnership

Sposored by

Columbia Association
Horizon Foundation
The Women's Giving Circle of Howard County
HoCoPoLitSo - Howard County Poetry & Literature Society

Downtown Columbia partnership members

Merriweather Post Pavilion

Howard County Economic Development Authority

Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center

The Mall in Columbia

Howard County Chamber of Commerce

Howard Community College

Davis, Agnor, Rapaport & Skalny

Residences at Vantage Point

UHY Advisors

APL Fed Credit Union

Key Commercial Real Estate

TEDCO