Need a new read? Get involved in the first-ever Utah County Bookstore Crawl
Nov 27, 2024, 4:19 PM | Updated: 5:11 pm
The Utah County Bookstore Crawl will take place from Nov. 29 through Dec. 7. (Courtesy, Heidi Rowley)
(Courtesy, Heidi Rowley)
SALT LAKE CITY – Hungry for something new this holiday season? Utah residents should prepare to feast on a myriad of books at the first-ever Utah County Bookstore Crawl.
Heidi Rowley, owner of HideAway Books in American Fork, organized the event to introduce book lovers to eight independent bookstores in the area.
“Just in the last year or two, bookstores have kind of exploded in Utah County,” Rowley said. “It kind of went from a few of us to a lot of us.”
The event comes just in time for holiday shopping, as local bookstores are now competing for book lovers after a new Barnes & Noble opened in the area. Rowley hoped that the County’s first-ever book crawl would help showcase the individuality and character of the independent stores.
“While we always love reading and matching readers and books, just as business owners and small bookstore owners, we just feel like there’s something special about small bookstores that connects to the community that’s different,” Rowley said.
To participate, crawlers should visit one of the eight participating bookstores beginning Nov. 29 through Dec. 7, which is Utah Authors Day. Book lovers will pick up a bookmark from any of the stores, and get it stamped at each location. Raffle tickets will be handed out, with a chance to win grand prizes like gift certificates and “bookish items donated by each store,” a release states.
No purchase is necessary to get involved, as the Crawl was organized to expose readers to new, potentially favorite, spots.
“One of the things that I think is so amazing of indie bookstores is we’re all so unique, we all have a different vibe,” Rowley said.
The participating locations wanted to spread the love from customers between all of them, and create “a big friend group” of readers and stores alike.
Participating bookstores
- HideAway Books, American Fork
- Lagg Bookstore, Lehi
- The Book Box, Draper
- Mosaics Community Bookstore and Venue, Provo
- Planted in Pages, Provo
- Pioneer Book, Provo
- Eborn Books, Provo
- Poppy’s Books and Gifts, Spanish Fork
Rowley told KSL TV that The Book Box, HideAway Books, and Pioneer Books will also be hosting local authors on Dec. 7 on Utah Authors Day, a holiday declared by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox to celebrate writers in the Beehive State.
