Paging all bookworms: this Saturday is Independent Bookstore Day and bookstores around Washington are celebrating with special deals, pop-ups, and giveaways. Several stores are collaborating with IndieBound, a movement launched by the American Booksellers Association to promote and highlight independent booksellers, by giving out exclusive merchandise, such as mugs, bookmarks, and tote bags.
Four bookstores are teaming up for a bookstore crawl on Saturday from 9 AM to 2:30 PM. Visitors can print or pick up a map at Bold Folk Books (3064 Mount Pleasant St., NW), Lost City Books (2467 18th St., NW), Loyalty Bookstore (843 Upshur St., NW), or The Potter’s House (1658 Columbia Rd., NW). The map grants customers 10 percent off purchases at these shops.
In addition to the bookstore crawl, check out how these 14 local booksellers are celebrating.
Bards Alley Bookshop
110 Church St., NW, Vienna
The women-owned bookstore will be celebrating all day long with local authors Laura Gehl, Henna Khan, Margaret Rodenberg, Alyssa Colman, Stacie Murphy, popping in for story-times and book signings. There will also be special merchandise and giveaways, and if you spend $75 or more, you’ll be entered to win a swag bundle or prize.
Bridge Street Books
2814 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
The Georgetown bookstore will have a storewide 10 percent discount.
Busboys & Poets
14th Street, Mount Vernon Triangle, Takoma, Hyattsville, Shirlington, and Columbia locations
Select titles, including signed copies and staff picks, will be 15 percent off at six of the local restaurant and bookstore chain’s locations. Every purchase will come with a free Busboy & Poet sticker and purchases of $50 or more will come with a free tote bag.
Capitol Hill Books
657 C St., SE
The beloved used bookstore will offer 10 percent off all purchases.
East City Bookshop
645 Pennsylvania Ave., Unit 100, SE
Not only is it Indie Bookstore Day, it’s also East City Bookshop’s sixth birthday! Visit the Capitol Hill store for flash sales and giveaways. Bonus: there will be cupcakes.
Loyalty Bookstore
843 Upshur St., NW; 823 Ellsworth Dr., Silver Spring
Not only is the Shaw location partaking in the DC Bookstore Crawl, both the Shaw and Silver Spring locations will have guest bookselling stints from local authors: Susie Dumond in Petworth and Thien-Kim Lam in Silver Spring. The shops will have an in-store and online 20 percent off sale on selected signed books. Loyalty will raffle off two sets of titles celebrating Black narratives on Twitter to people who send an image of a receipt or order confirmation during the weekend. There will also be swag bag giveaways of bookish freebies with purchases over $50.
Hooray for Books!
1555 King St., Alexandria
The Old Town Alexandria shop will have exclusive Independent Bookstore Day merch on hand throughout the day.
Kramers
1517 Connecticut Ave., NW
The Dupont Circle bookshop/cafe will host a “Blind Date with a Book” special, in which patrons will receive a surprise book for every $100 spent.
Old Town Books
130 S Royal St., Alexandria
Visit Old Town Books for 10 percent off select staff picks and snag a free tote bag with a purchase of $50 or more. There will also be swag and social media giveaways.
One More Page Books
2200 N Westmoreland St., Arlington
Expect giveaways and special merch for sale throughout the day.
The Potter’s House
1658 Columbia Rd., NW
The Adams Morgan nonprofit bookshop is participating in the bookstore crawl, plus its sale books will be an additional 30 percent off. Get a free hot or iced coffee with any bookstore purchase or spend $50 to receive a free limited-edition literary gift.
Sankofa Video, Books & Cafe
2714 Georgia Ave., NW
The Black-owned cafe and bookstore, specializing in African-focused books, programming, and films, will have a bunch of sales: 30 percent off the biography section, 10 percent off all other sections, 50 percent off films produced by the store’s founders, and 20 percent off smoothies at the cafe.
Scrawl Books
11911 Freedom Dr., Reston
The Reston bookstore will feature literary items and exclusive editions of books made in collaboration with authors and publishers as well as free tote bags with purchases of at least $125. At 11:30 AM, NoVa-based authors, Sue Fliess, Debra Kempf Shumaker, and Ann Marie Stevens, will host story-times featuring a few of their latest books.
Solid State Books
600-F H St., NE
The Black-owned bookstore has been celebrating Independent Bookstore Day all week long with an Instagram puzzle series. Solid State Books has posted various puzzles, such as crosswords and Wordles on its Instagram. The first person to come to the bookshop on Saturday with the answer for any particular puzzle will win a prize. In addition, the store will host a sidewalk table with pop-up vendors and a spin-a-wheel, where customers spin for a chance to win a prize. At 5:30 PM, join DC-area poets Susan Sheid, Derrick Weston Brown, and Alexa Patrick for a night of poetry.
*An earlier version of this story said The Potter’s House would offer 30 percent off all books. In fact, the shop will offer an additional 30 percent off sale books only.
