Save the Date: Annual Holiday Book Festival
The White House Historical Association’s annual book event will feature the first day of sale of 'White House Memories, 1970–2007: Recollections of the Longest Serving Chief Usher.'
The White House Historical Association will hold its annual holiday book festival on Friday, December 5, 2025, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. local time. Free and open to the public, the event will feature book signings with nearly 30 of the Association’s best-selling authors at the White House Historical Association Carriage House, 1610 H Street N.W., in Washington, D.C.
To celebrate the first day of sale of his new memoir, former White House Chief Usher Gary J. Walters will be on hand to sign White House Memories, 1970–2007: Recollections of the Longest Serving Chief Usher. The first memoir by a White House chief usher since J.B. West’s best-selling Upstairs at the White House was released in 1973, White House Memories presents for the first time the history behind the scenes witnessed by Walters, the longest-serving chief usher in White House history.
Walters tells the stories of life as lived in the White House by seven presidents and their families, from Richard Nixon to George W. Bush. He remembers State Dinners, Congressional Picnics, Peace Treaties, 9/11, a helicopter crash, and Inaugurations, as well as assassination attempts, ping-pong competitions, surprise birthday parties, movie nights, and the birth of puppies.
Also at this year’s Book Festival will be actor-interpreter Bill Barker as President Thomas Jefferson. He will also sign his book, Becoming Jefferson.
Other authors:
Artist Peter Waddell will discuss his monumental painting The Indispensable Plan, which depicts the City of Washington as Pierre Charles L’Enfant laid it out in his 1791 plan. Of special interest is Waddell’s vision of how the White House would have looked had it been built at five times its actual size as designed by L’Enfant. The painting is featured in White House History Quarterly #79 “The White House That Wasn’t.”
John Hutton will provide attendees with drawing lessons from his latest book, How to Draw the Presidents and First Ladies, and sign nine other children’s books featuring his work.
John Wrory Ficklin will sign bookplates for his forthcoming book An Unusual Path: Three Generations from Slavery to the White House. Now on presale, the book will be released in February 2026.
Pastry Chef Mark Ramsdell will sign two books he co-authored with Chef Roland Mesnier—The White House in Gingerbread: Memories & Recipes and Creating the Sweet World of White House Desserts.
Adrian Miller, winner of two James Beard Awards, will sign his latest book Asian Heritage Chefs in White House History: Cooking to the President’s Taste as well as The President’s Kitchen Cabinet, Soul Food, and Black Smoke.
William Allman will sign the new edition of Official White House China.
Former White House Curators William Allman, Lydia Tederick, and Melissa Naulin will sign Furnishing the White House.
Anita McBride and Gigi McBride will be on hand to sign their award-winning children’s book, First Ladies Make History.
Diana Carlin, Anita McBride and Nancy Kegan Smith will sign Remember the First Ladies.
Mary Jo Binker will sign If You Ask Me: Essential Advice from Eleanor Roosevelt and a collection of her articles featured in White House History Quarterly.
Stewart McLaurin will be available to sign his new book The People’s House Miscellany: A Treasury of White House History, Fun Facts, and Things to Know.
Christi Harlan will sign Mr. President, The Class is Yours: Jimmy Carter’s Sunday School Lessons in Washington, D.C. and Normal Lives.
Melinda Dart will sign A Glimpse of Greatness: The Memoir of Irineo Esperancilla, which captures the amazing experience of her grandfather a Filipino American who quietly served his family, his country and four presidents of the United States.
Bruce M. White will sign At Home in the President’s Neighborhood: A Photographic Tour.
Christina Ewald will sign her article about tailor Martin Greenfield in White House History Quarterly #77 “The White House and World War II.”
Jonathan Pliska will sign A Garden for the President and two children’s books, Kid’s Play and President’s Play.
Rocco Smirne will sign Rocco Keeps the Beat!, his fourth book on White House history. He takes us on a musical journey to explore how music has been used to welcome and entertain thousands of people to the White House for more than 200 years.
Christy Bowe will sign History in the Making: A Focus on Five U.S. Presidents.
Special tables will also feature the published work of late White House Curator Betty C. Monkman and the late historian William Seale.
Calendar
Nov. 12, 2025
Talk With a Curator
The National First Ladies Library & Museum presents an online exclusive look behind the glass with Michelle Gullion, Director of Collections & Research at the National First Ladies Library & Museum. From rarely seen artifacts to personal insights on curating exhibitions, Gullion will guide attendees through what it takes to protect and interpret the legacy of America’s first ladies. Highlights include: behind-the-scenes stories from the archives, a look at the newest and most fascinating acquisitions, curator secrets on preservation and research and a live Q&A session. Read more
Nov. 14, 2025
Legacy Lecture: Mrs. Lincoln in Love–with Laura Keyes
The National First Ladies Library & Museum presents a step back in time into the executive mansion of 1862 with First Lady Mary Lincoln for an intimate afternoon tea–virtually.
Historian and award-winning performer Laura Keyes brings Mary Lincoln to life in this first-person portrayal set during the Civil War. As the first lady reflects on the loves of her life, her children, her husband, and her country, she offers a deeply personal perspective on her often-misunderstood legacy. She’ll even share excerpts from Abraham Lincoln’s own love letters to her.
More than a historical reenactment, this lecture is an emotional, enlightening journey through triumph and tragedy, politics and love, presented by a leading authority on the subject. Read more
Nov. 15 and 16, 2025
Continental Army Family Days
George Washington’s Mount Vernon presents Continental Army Family Days from 9:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 15 and 16, 2025. Among the character interpreters will be Martha Washington on Nov. 15 from 1 to 3:30 p.m. local time who will explain how she supported the troops, the times she visited George Washington throughout the war, and her role in running the Mount Vernon estate during this time period. Read more
Nov. 18, 2025
History Has Its Eyes On Us
Virtual passes are now available for the event “History Has Its Eyes On Us,” a discussion with Hillary Clinton, Heather Cox Richardson and Lin Manuel Miranda at 7 p.m. ET on Nov. 18, 2025. Read more
Nov. 18, 2025
White House History Live: Official White House China
The White House Historical Association presents “White House History Live: Official White House China,” a live-streamed event on the White House Historical Association’s Facebook and YouTube pages starting at 5:30 pm ET on November 18. Former curator of the White House William G. Allman will discuss his book, Official White House China: From the 18th to the 21 Centuries. In addition to highlighting the history of presidential china and historic china within the White House Collection, Allman will detail the evolution of State Dinners and State Services, and how these pieces serve as a touchstone of the American presidency and a key part of cultural diplomacy. Read more
Nov. 18, 2025
Deck the Halls: Holiday Traditions at the White House
The George W. Bush Presidential Center presents an exclusive behind-the-scenes look in “Deck the Halls: Holiday Traditions at the White House” from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. local time from those who helped bring them to life. Join Dori Thornton Waller, former White House Deputy Social Secretary, Sara Armstrong, former Deputy Chief of Staff to Mrs. Laura Bush, and Susan Whitson, former Press Secretary to Mrs. Laura Bush as they share memorable stories from their time at the White House during the holidays. The conversation will be moderated by Kristin King, chief operating officer of the George W. Bush Institute. Read more
Nov. 20, 2025
Third Thursday: A Widow’s Work—Jacqueline Kennedy and the JFK Legacy
In the aftermath of an unthinkable national tragedy, Jacqueline Kennedy guided a grieving nation through mourning—while shaping one of the most powerful presidential legacies in American history. Join the National First Ladies Library for an in-person, Third Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m. EST on Nov. 20, 2025, as Dr. Karen Dunak, author of Our Jackie: Public Claims on a Private Life, presents an intimate exploration of Jackie Kennedy’s efforts to memorialize President John F. Kennedy. From funeral arrangements and his burial at Arlington Cemetery to her iconic Life magazine interview, Mrs. Kennedy’s intentional use of ceremony, symbolism, and media redefined how Americans remember the man—and the moment. Read more
Nov. 24, 2025
First Ladies on the Page Book Club: Upstairs at the White House
For nearly three decades, J.B. West served as the White House’s chief usher, orchestrating the daily life of America’s executive mansion with precision and discretion. His memoir Upstairs at the White House offers an unparalleled insider’s view of life with six presidents and their first ladies.
Join the National First Ladies Library & Museum at 7 p.m. on Nov. 24, 2025, as they explore this bestselling classic, filled with vivid stories—from Eleanor Roosevelt’s political strategies, to Jackie Kennedy’s grief and grace, to Pat Nixon’s quiet struggles—all told through the eyes of the man who managed it all behind the scenes. This free virtual book club session invites discussion, storytelling, and Q&A with National First Ladies Library & Museum staff. Reserve your spot. Read more