Here’s how local stores celebrate Independent Bookstore Day on Saturday Entertainment

Information for all book lovers: Independent Bookstore Day is a Saturday, featuring three Lancaster County bookstores and a popular location in Harrisburg. Activities include gift giving, blind meetings with books, bookmarking contests, special authoring events and even brand new stores.

“We believe that independent bookstores are very important to communities,” said Alexis Colon, Aaron’s Books. “We like to create a space of community and delight people with reading and taking books in hand. It’s about the excitement and joy of reading. “

Independent Bookstore Day is a national event. Visit the full list of participating stores across the country lanc.news/IndieBookstores.

AARON’S BOOKS

Where: 35 E. Main St. Lititz.

Contact information: 717-627-1990; aaronsbooks.com.

Opening hours of the independent bookstore: from 9.00 to 17.00

Details: The store will open an hour earlier than usual at 9 a.m. and will serve donuts and juice. Limited exclusive items from an independent bookstore will be available for sale, and some will be included in purchases. Customers who purchase $ 50 or more will have a choice of two Aaron’s Books items, including a mug for travel and a bag; if customers return to Aaron’s with the specified bag, they will receive a 5% discount on the purchase.

The store will also host a competition of design bookmarks for children aged 5-12. Participation in the competition is free. The store will have a coloring table where children can create their own bookmarks on site; if the children give their bookmarks to the competition, they will receive a small prize. Aaron’s Books will upload content to their Instagram and Facebook accounts in May to get followers to vote for three favorite designs. The winning samples will be reproduced in bookmarks in the Books of Aaron and given away during summer purchases.

BR BOOKS

Where: 1933 Fruitville Pike, Lancaster (at Foxhire Plaza).

Contact information: 717-581-5887; brbookslancaster.com.

Opening hours of the independent bookstore: from 10.00 to 16.00

Details: BR Books will hold a book signing event with local author Mary Cantel. A limited number of Kantel’s new inspirational novel “Hope the Other Way” will be available during the event, which will be officially released in June. Cancel will sign copies of his book from 10 a.m. to noon.

Other books by local authors will be highlighted on a special table during the Independent Bookstore Day. Some hardcover books sell for $ 1 per day. The store will be available for purchase of exclusive goods for the Independent Bookstore Day, as well as some free gifts.

MIDTOWNA BOOKSTORE AND CAFE

Where: 1302 N. Third St., Harrisburg.

Contact information: 717-236-1680; midtownscholar.com.

Opening hours of the independent bookstore: from 9.00 to 19.00

Details: The Midtown Scholar will celebrate Independent Bookstore Day by offering customers exclusive merchandise and sales, including a “Blind Date with a Book” event. Random books used will be wrapped in brown paper, and staff will mark them with clues in the form of keywords and images for each book. Blind date books cost $ 6 and $ 8.

The store is also holding a massive five-day open-air tent sale featuring more than 10,000 titles of books priced from $ 1 to $ 3. The sale began on Wednesday and continues until Sunday in front of the store on the corner of Third and Verbeek streets. More information and hours of sales can be found on the Midtown Scholar bookstore Facebook page.

POCKETS

Where: 903 Wheatland Ave., Lancaster.

Contact information: 717-517-7990; pocketbooksshop.com.

Opening hours of the independent bookstore: from 10.00 to 19.00

Details: Pocket Books will celebrate Independent Bookstore Day widely: opening an entire bookstore. Independent Bookstore Day will be celebrated by the bookstore with its soft opening on Saturday. Co-owners Austin Carter, Jessica Callahan and Julie Ross will open their store and offer treats throughout the day. The grand opening is likely to take place in June, Carter says.

“We really want to be good to society,” Carter says. “We’re not just an alternative to buying your books on some big site. We hope to do more. “

The store offers a wide range of genres from children’s books and romance to horror and real crime.