Bards Alley, at 110 Church Street NW, Vienna, will be celebrating with events and programs, including a community-wide book hunt starting at 9 a.m. with 100 advance reader galleys hidden in and around participating businesses, an in-store scavenger hunt with prizes throughout the day, a literature-themed concert with children’s musician Groovy Nate (11-11:30 a.m.), a portrait drawing with children’s book illustrator Zara Gonzalez Hoang (2-3 p.m.), and live music, special drinks, and board games in the evening (5-6 p.m.).
“I think of independent bookstores as special places where we can share thoughts and ideas freely and strengthen our connection to one another,” says owner Jen Morrow. “In this spirit, we look forward to celebrating Independent Bookstore Day with our community.”
Bards Alley will also offer exclusive day-of merchandise created especially for Independent Bookstore Day by major publishers and authors. Since its inception in 2014, more than 200 authors have demonstrated their support for independent bookstores by donating work for Bookstore Day.
The fifth annual National Independent Bookstore Day is sponsored in part by Penguin Random House, Ingram, and The American Booksellers Association. Last year, participating bookstores saw an average increase in sales of 200 percent on Independent Bookstore Day, with some stores up as much as 1000 percent over their average Saturday sales in April. In just five years, Independent Bookstore Day has become a book-buying holiday, increasing book sales on a national level.
Bards Alley is Vienna’s bookstore, located at 110 Church St. NW. carrying more than 5,000 titles. Store hours are 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and Noon – 5 p.m. on Sunday. For more information about Bards Alley events and book clubs, visit the website: www.bardsalley.com.