Book fairs have a special place in the hearts of millennials.
Many of us grew up looking forward to the Scholastic Book Order catalogs getting passed out in our classrooms—placing a book order was the ultimate high for me as a fourth grader. I know; I was a major nerd then and an even bigger nerd now. But even better than filling out the order form and excitedly anticipating the books’ arrival for weeks was the creme de la creme we all waited for—the on-site, in-house Scholastic Book Fair.
A beloved pastime that rose to immense popularity in the ‘80s and ‘90s, the Scholastic Book Fairs had it all: stickers, special pencils, gel pens, posters, diaries, and books—it was a bookworm child’s mecca. As young readers, we had the independent experience of “shopping” unsupervised and bringing home our purchased treasures. As an adult, I still get that high from book shopping, and now, I have a larger book budget than what my parents provided.
For years, social media users have lamented the lack of Scholastic Book Fairs geared toward adults. An event with books and alcoholic beverages would definitely hit the proverbial spot. So, when a friend mentioned a flier promoting a boozy book fair, I knew we had to attend. To see if this would be the boozy Scholastic Book Fair of my dreams. Of all our dreams.
What We Expected
The posted event description was straightforward: the first-ever Boozy Book Fair that combined literature and libations with literary treasures, local authors, and book merch—promising, no?
With this synopsis in mind, a group of us regular boozy book club attendees decided to experience the Boozy Book Fair out at Castle Farms together. Leading up to the event, I asked each of them what their expectations were for the fair, and we were all on the same page. Imagine that for a group of readers. We were all excited about the unknown and potential but kept the expectation bar at a reasonable level so as not to get über disappointed.
My personal expectation can be succinctly summed up in four words: Booths, Books, Buds & Booze. How could it be anything but an enjoyable time?
What We Experienced
So this past Sunday, we assembled, meeting up in the drink ticket line and snagging our libations before strolling about. Throughout the halls and rooms at the popular venue, we found booths representing regional libraries, local bookstores, independent authors, Etsy creators, and even Rain & Revelry, the event company that hosted The Gauntlet back in August.
At the Rain & Revelry booth, our Gauntlet team—Basgiath Running Club—reunited for a quick pic in celebration of the upcoming 2025 Gauntlet. It may be nearly a year away, but we’re already pumped and counting down the days.
Once we resumed our strolling, we checked out fun merch and perused used books tables and author booths. Meeting authors always makes me nervous, so I decided to not get too close to those booths because I always feel guilty when I don’t buy their books. Hopefully, this won’t cause a karmic repercussion when I’m trying to promote my work in the future…
After seeing everything there was to see, each member of our fivesome purchased a blind date book, and we all proceeded to unwrap the books and read their synopses while eating Polish fare from The Rogue Pierogi.
All in all, the book fair was a good time spent with good people in a beautiful setting. I will admit, however, that I’d hoped for a signature book-themed cocktail, but the wine—Serenity Red—was delish. The Boozy Book Fair met my expectations, and I see the potential for growth if this becomes an annual event.
Epilogue
After the Sunday event, we kept the literary fun rolling into Monday at Muskrat Distilling for October’s second Lit with Literature meeting, where I did get to enjoy themed drinks. Between sips and laughter, we discussed Ali Hazelwood’s Bride, a tale of romance featuring vampires and werewolves—ideal for the week of Halloween—and we took some great photos because this event was also a costume party.
The assignment was for people to dress up as their favorite book characters to celebrate the holiday. Our group delivered, serving up excellent costumes, but I was disappointed that so many attendees were in plain clothes. I didn’t think anyone would recognize my favorite book character—Cimorene from The Enchanted Forest Chronicles—so I went as a character I knew, from previous experience, I could pull off: the Morrigan, aka Mor of the Night Court’s inner circle from Sarah J Maas’ ACOTAR series.
Filling out our table was Cassian the Lord of Bloodshed, portrayed by my always-game boyfriend, Claire Fraser, brought to life by a dear friend who bears the same Christian name, and Crescent City couple Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar, who won the best costume prize! Oh, what a night for book nerds!
September was the uncontested month of the book for me, but without question, October was a close second. Next up, we’ll see what November has in store…
Coming up next:
November — TBD