Nocturnal bookworms are getting their special evening on Saturday March 4th.

Starting at 06:00 p.m., La Noche de las Librerías (Night of the Bookstores) kicks off in the heart of the city where bookstores never sleep — Corrientes Avenue, between Cerrito and Callao — so you can add your typical theater going and late-night pizzas to the mix.  

Twenty bookstores in the area will remain open until 01:00 a.m. as part of the event organized by the City’s Ministry of Culture, with a program of free activities including conferences, book readings, music shows and other artistic performances. 

This year, the event will focus on the 40th anniversary of Argentina’s return to democracy and the “different perspectives on the experience and needs of democratic life,” according to organizers.

“40 years after the return of democracy, we Argentines are as clear as ever on the fact that freedom, respect and diversity are non-negotiable values,” said Buenos Aires mayor Horacio Rodríguez Larreta.

“Books are a reflection of all this because they contain stories, characters and dreams that connect us with each other. The Night of the Bookstores is a unique opportunity to enjoy and vindicate all the magic, talent and cultural richness of the City.”

There will be more than 50 free activities across six stages spread around Corrientes Avenue. Participants include writer and essayist Martín Kohan, best-selling novelist Claudia Piñeiro, journalist María O’Donnell, former Trial of the Juntas judge Ricardo Gil Lavedra, filmmaker Sergio Wolf, playwright and performer Mosquito Sancinetto, editor Victor Malumián, and actress/poet Carla Quevedo, among many others. 

As well as a great opportunity to splurge on books, there will conferences such as “40 years of media and democracy,” with Hinde Pomeraniec, Juan Di Natale and Bobby Flores (Moderator: Patricio Zunini); “Football, politics and democracy,” with Martín Kohan, Sergio Olguín and Alejandro Wall; and “The Trial of the Juntas. The power of words and images,” with María O’Donnell, Ricardo Gil Lavedra and Sergio Wolf.

“Having information circulating, respectful dialogues, diverse ideas, words and stories — that is the way we can guarantee freedom for many more years,” said Buenos Aires Culture Minister, Enrique Avogadro. 

“We celebrate this event with a theme that invites us to reflect on the importance of culture in the construction and consolidation of a democratic country and city.¨

All activities are free of charge — not counting what you might spend on books, of course — and the full program can be found here.

*Several streets in Buenos Aires downtown area will be closed to traffic during the event, according to the following plan provided by the Buenos Aires City government: