The first Jenna Book Festival will take place next month in Nashville, Tennessee. TODAY shared the news with its audience with promises of an unforgettable weekend with the event’s host, Jenna Bush Hager.
“Don’t miss this exclusive literary event, where you’ll connect with fellow book lovers, meet Read with Jenna authors, and dive into engaging conversations, pop-up bookshops, immersive experiences, surprise giveaways, and more,” the announcement reads. “Hosted by TODAY and sponsored by Visit Music City, this festival is your chance to celebrate the magic of books while exploring all of the excitement Nashville has to offer.”
Jenna Bush Hager has built a brand around literacy that includes a book club. The TODAY co-host sat down with Parade in 2023 to share how her grandmother laid the foundation for her Read With Jenna Book Club.
“It’s so interesting because I think [my grandmother would] be so excited,” Hager said of her late grandmother and former First Lady, Barbara Bush. “She died probably right before I started the book club, so she didn’t really get to see any of what’s happened with ‘Read with Jenna,’ so I know she would be delighted by it,” the TODAY co-host shared.
“And I get to speak with authors who she loved and loved her like John Grisham and others who have said to me, ‘Your grandmother would have really loved what you’re doing.’ And that is like the biggest compliment.”
Jenna’s mom, former First Lady Laura Bush, expressed her passion for education through her No Child Left Behind initiative during her husband’s presidency. She, too, has significantly impacted the way her daughter views literacy.
“I hope to be doing the same thing with my kids,” Jenna Bush Hager shared with Parade when discussing the reading routine her mom implemented when she was young. “I’m reading to them every single night,” the TODAY co-host said of the quality time she spends with her kids. “I’m talking to them about books. I’m modeling reading, which is something that parents of all age kids, but particularly older kids can do.”
The first Jenna Book Festival will be held on May 30, 2025, and May 31, 2025, at W Nashville. VIP passes for the event are $699. Tickets for general admission to Jenna Bush Hager’s book festival are $399 per person.