Browsing for books at the Elting Memorial Library Fair in 2006. (photo by Lauren Thomas)
One of New Paltz’s longest-standing fundraising traditions, the Elting Memorial Library Book Fair, is gearing up for its 57th annual book-lovers’ extravaganza on Saturday, Sept. 28.
Each year the fair attracts hundreds of local residents, book collectors and visitors looking for some literary bargains, or just to catch up with friends and neighbors and support their local library hub. No matter what genre you enjoy — whether it be cookbooks, popular fiction, autobiographies, nonfiction, children’s books, architecture, gardening or even books written in foreign languages — there is something for everyone at this fair.
According to the library staff and volunteers, there are more than 25,000 books to be sold this year under the book tent. For those who take their books and their book bargains seriously, there is the ever-popular Early Bird fee of $10, which allows entrance to the book tent an hour earlier than it opens up for free to the general public.
Although the book fair is the hallmark of the event, there is also a raffle with dozens of prizes and gift certificates to be awarded, with the top prize being a weekend for two at Mohonk Mountain House. There will be a live music corner throughout the day that will feature a number of local performers with a variety of musical styles, including Fuzzy Lollipop, which is geared toward children and families.
In the parking lot of the library, located just off Church Street and the corner of North Front Street in downtown New Paltz, will be large flea market with hand-knit items for sale as well as food, plants, jewelry, crafts and toys. While parents or grandparents peruse the book tent or flea market or chat with friends, there will be a host of children’s activities to keep the young ones engaged, including karate demonstrations and a Kidz-on-the-Go soft playscape, which has a rock climbing component, web-crawls and a ten-foot slide. There will also be face-painting, pumpkin-decorating and a design-your-own-book-jacket contest with prizes.
The fair will take place on Sept. 28 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and then the book sale only will continue on Sunday, Sept. 29 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. To learn more, call the Elting Library at 255-5030.