What should you be doing in Baltimore this weekend? Reading! Well, sort of.

It’s the city’s 15th annual Baltimore Book Festival, and beginning Friday at noon, over 200 writers (both recognizable and up and coming and national and local) will be gracing six stages around Mt. Vernon, reading, signing books and mingling with fans among a sea of vendors, food, music and crowds that reached over 55,000 at last year’s festival.

The mix of authors is eclectic and includes everyone from advice columnist “Ask Amy” to the extremely handsome America’s Next Top Model judge Nigel Barker.  Rumor has it that Baltimore’s Reader-in-Chief, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, will be attending along with her daughter.

The literary bash sets off a week of readings in venues throughout the city.  Notable readers include Ann Patchett, who wrote the intricate, mesmerizing novel Bel Canto, Gary Shteyngart, the author of the sophisticated and mysterious Russian Debutante’s Handbook and the Brew’s own contributor Rafael Alvarez.

Visit www.baltimorebookfestival.com for a full schedule and list of authors and venues.