Celebrate Independent Bookstore Day at Elm Street Books on Saturday, April 30th and Sunday, May 1st.
Join hundreds of independent bookstores for parties, author readings, in-store events, and exclusive day-of merchandise.
Independent Bookstore Day 2022 marks its ninth year of celebrating independent bookstores nationwide on Saturday, April 30th, with literary parties around the country. As a thank-you to customers who support their neighborhood booksellers, Elm Street Books has planned tons of fun, in-store events and stocked exclusive books and literary items that you can only get on that day. Not before. Not after. Nowhere else.
Saturday 4/30: Author Signing with Frank Mortimer, author of Bee People: And the Bugs They Love
Sunday 5/1: Author Signing with Michael Goodwin, Author of Vice Versa
Connecticut Independent Bookstore Day Passport Program
Celebrate your local indies on Independent Bookstore Day (April 30) by participating in the Connecticut Independent Bookstore Day Passport! Visit all 17 participating bookstores over the weekend to win a Passport Prize, a 20% coupon from each store (some exclusions apply), and be entered into a Grand Prize raffle. Five (5) people will be drawn at random to win a Grand Prize of a $50 gift card from EACH store (that’s a $850 value!). Join the party and show Connecticut indie bookstores some love!
If you can’t make it to all 17 stores in one weekend but still want to visit all the shops, this year for the first time we are offering a Slow & Steady Prize for finishing the Passport by September 5th. One (1) person will be drawn at random to win a Slow & Steady Prize of a $20 gift card from EACH store ($300 value).
Some rules:
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This event takes place over Independent Bookstore Day weekend (Saturday, April 30th, and Sunday, May 1st) during each bookstore’s business hours.
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Participants can pick up a passport at any participating bookstore on or before Independent Bookstore Day.
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Participants must visit ALL participating bookstores on April 30-May 1 to qualify for the passport prize and gain entry to win a Grand Prize.
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Participants must visit ALL participating bookstores between April 30-September 5 to qualify for Slow & Steady Prize drawing.
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No purchase is required to participate.
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Each participating bookstore will issue an original stamp/sticker in the passport during your visit.
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Upon completion of the passport, a bookseller at the final stop will review the stamps and confirm your eligibility to win. You will be asked to fill out a form with your contact information, which will be used to mail Passport Prizes and for entry into the Grand Prize or Slow & Steady Prize drawings.
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Participants can finish their passport at ANY of the stores and are welcome to keep their passports.
Participating Stores:
Athena Books |
228 Sound Beach Ave., Old Greenwich |
Bank Square Books |
53 W Main Street, Mystic |
Barrett Bookstore |
6 Corbin Drive, Darien |
Bennett’s Books |
171 Main Street, Deep River |
Book Trader Cafe |
1140 Chapel st. New Haven |
Byrd's Books |
178 Greenwood Ave. Bethel |
Elm Street Books |
35 Elm Street New Canaan |
Goods & Curiosities, The Griswold Inn Store |
47 Main Street, Essex |
Harbor Books |
146 Main Street, Old Saybrook |
House of Books |
10 North Main Street, Kent |
River Bend Bookshop |
2217 Main Street, Glastonbury |
RJ Julia Booksellers |
768 Boston Post Road, Madison |
The Hickory Stick Bookshop |
2 Green Hill Rd, Washington Depot |
The Key Bookstore |
1429 Park St, ST 214, Hartford |
Turning The Page |
477 Main Street, Monroe |
Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore |
413 Main Street, Middletown |
Wordsmith Bookshop |
1 Grist Mill Road, Simsbury |
About Independent Bookstore Day
Independent Bookstore Day was established in 2013 to promote, celebrate, and highlight the value of the Independent bookstore community. The day has been observed on the last Saturday of April every year since 2013. This year there are 872 stores participating in all 50 states, up 55% from 580 stores in pre-pandemic 2019.