With the start of the holiday shopping season only a few days away, independent booksellers around the country are ready to kick things off with Indies First/Small Business Saturday.
Libro.fm is running a Shop Small Sale from November 26 to December 2. Many bestselling audiobooks will be available for $5 or less, and bookstores can share special offers for customers starting new monthly memberships. Booksellers can find Libro.fm assets for Plaid Friday, Small Business Saturday/Indies First, and Cider Monday here.
In Los Angeles, Calif., Chevalier's Books is celebrating Small Business Saturday with its first ever Boozy Book Fair. The event will run after hours, 7-10 p.m., and the $15 ticket will include admission, free drinks and refreshments, free gift wrapping, a free reusable Chevalier's tote bag, and a copy of the bookstore's holiday catalog, which goes live November 30.
RJ Julia Booksellers in Madison, Conn., will be serving hot cocoa in the bookstore's kids' room while children write letters to Santa. Afterward, the bookstore will take part in the Madison Chamber of Commerce Holiday Celebration Parade, which will start at 11 a.m. at the Scranton Library and follow Boston Post Road. Following the end of the parade, there will be a special visit from Santa in front of Cafe Allegre.
At the Raven Book Store in Lawrence, Kan., SBS festivities will include a prize wheel, new T-shirts, the return of an old sweatshirt favorite, and a slate of local author signings. Appearances will include Robert Dinsdale (Massachusetts Street), Dustin Stumblingbear (I Am Kiowa), Sarah Henning (The Lies We Conjure), Nicole Evans (Blood Price), and Curtis Marsh (KU-phoria).
In Evanston, Ill., Bookends & Beginnings will celebrate the opening of Middles Used Books, a new sister store focused on used titles. There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 5 p.m. with Mayor Daniel Biss, and following the ceremony, there will be cake and champagne back at the MiniBar at the store's flagship location. Afterward, Bookends staff members will present their holiday picks. The day will also include free stickers with all purchases, complimentary tote bags with purchases over $100, and free stickers for the first 50 children under 10 who arrive for the store's morning storytime session.
Brazos Bookstore in Houston, Tex., will stay open late on Saturday for Brazos After Dark, a shopping experience featuring an assortment of snacks and drinks as a thank you to customers for a great 2024.
And at Papercuts Bookshop in Boston, Mass., the bookstore will be celebrating its 10th anniversary. Owner Kate Layte and her team will thank customers and community members for their support with homemade baked goods, guest appearances from local authors, and more.