Independent bookstores hit largest turnout
- Independent Bookstore Day’s 13th edition drew more than 2,000 U.S. stores on April 25, as booksellers staged nationwide crawls, author events and exclusives. - The American Booksellers Association said participation rose from about 1,600 stores in 2025, while Chicago’s crawl alone expanded to 84 bookstores. - The event now spans every state and territory, with 40-plus crawls extending beyond a single day. (bookweb.org)
Independent Bookstore Day hit a new high on Saturday, April 25, with more than 2,000 U.S. stores taking part in the 13th annual event. (bookweb.org) The American Booksellers Association said this year’s turnout topped 2025, when about 1,600 stores participated. The group said 2026’s event reached bookstores in all 50 states and U.S. territories. (publishersweekly.com) (bookweb.org) The day was built around limited-edition merchandise, author appearances, giveaways and local bookstore crawls. The association said more than 40 crawls were scheduled in more than half the states. (bookweb.org) (publishersweekly.com) By Tuesday, Publishers Weekly reported that booksellers across the country saw sales jump over the weekend despite broader economic uncertainty. The magazine said stores in the United States and 200 Canadian indies joined the celebration. (publishersweekly.com) In Chicago, the annual Chicagoland Bookstore Crawl grew to 84 participating stores, nearly double last year’s count. Organizer Ryvre Hardrick told the Chicago Sun-Times that readers were looking for “analog hobbies” and neighborhood “third space” gathering spots. (chicago.suntimes.com) In Albuquerque, Bookworks revived the ABQ Indie Bookstore Passport with discounts running from April 25 through May 9. The store said shoppers could get 10% off one purchase at each participating shop and meet local authors Grace Spulak and Lauren C. Teffeau. (bkwrks.com) (visitalbuquerque.org) Dallas marked the day with store-specific events and the fourth annual Oak Cliff Book Crawl. Event listings for the crawl named six stops: Blush Bookstore, Lucky Dog Books, Pan African Connection, Poets Books, Whose Books, and The Wild Detectives. (interabangbooks.com) (ma.to) The growth reflects how the day has changed since its 2014 launch from a single Saturday promotion into a broader retail and community calendar. Publishers Weekly said some crawls now last a week, a month or even longer. (publishersweekly.com 1) (publishersweekly.com 2) LeVar Burton served as this year’s ambassador, and the booksellers association used his appearance to frame stores as places of discovery as much as retail. After a record turnout in 2026, the event looks less like a niche promotion and more like a national spring shopping ritual for indie booksellers. (bookweb.org)
