Talking Animals Books will stretch its Horror Book Fest from one day to a full weekend Oct. 16–18 at its Main Street location in Grapevine. The second annual festival fills three days with author panels, flash tattoos, gore makeup and an open-mic ghost story night.
The event runs Friday, Oct. 16 through Sunday, Oct. 18 at 909 S. Main St., Suite 104, in historic downtown Grapevine. Last year's inaugural fest was held at Hop & Sting Brewing Co. while the bookstore's expanded second location was still under construction, Southlake Style reported. Admission details had not been announced as of Oct. 3.
Co-owners Katy Lemieux and Valerie Walizadeh opened the original Talking Animals store in 2023 on Worth Street. The Main Street space, which opened in 2025 with a coffee shop and event area, gave the store room to host bigger gatherings. In a July interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Lemieux said the expansion provided "… more space and more room for people to just physically be in the store and not feel like they're on top of each other."
Friday: author panel and gore makeup
The weekend opens with DFW artist Isa Flores demonstrating special effects and gore face painting from 2–9 p.m. An author panel follows from 7–9 p.m. featuring Katie Bernet, Chelsea Conradt, Shaun Hamill and C.L. Montblanc.
Saturday: vendors, authors and ghost stories
Authors and vendors set up from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday. The author roster expands to include Josh Rountree, Robert E. Stahl, Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam, Paul Avery Tindol, R.J. Powell of Splatter Girl Horror, Brad Ricks, Lindsey Rhoden and Beau Wilks, alongside returning panelists Bernet, Montblanc and Hamill.
Vendors include Chel Pace Tattoos offering flash tattoos, Brandle's Bottles selling oddities, Lua Clay Co. pottery and Van Dolls handmade Halloween lanterns.
Saturday night caps with an open-mic session for ghost stories and horror short stories from 7:30–9 p.m. Sign-ups open at the bookstore on Friday, Oct. 9.
Sunday: more vendors
The final day runs noon to 6 p.m. with vendors Chel Pace Tattoos, Amity Ceramics, La Muerta Creates and Van Dolls.
The lineup may change. Readers can check the bookstore's social media channels for schedule updates. The store is open Monday through Thursday 8 a.m.–8 p.m., Friday and Saturday 8 a.m.–10 p.m. and Sunday 8 a.m.–6 p.m.
Upcoming community events
- Wednesday, Oct. 7: Coffee with a Cop, Colleyville Police Department
- Friday, Oct. 9: Horror Book Fest open-mic sign-ups begin at Talking Animals Books
- Friday, Oct. 16 – Sunday, Oct. 18: Horror Book Fest, 909 S. Main St., Suite 104, Grapevine
