Book Lovers Day at Grand Exchange

Tennessee tourism officials on August 5 put The Grand Exchange Bookstore in Murfreesboro into a statewide Book Lovers Day roundup ahead of the annual observance on Sunday, August 9. The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development said independent bookstores across the state would mark the day with browsing and shopping tied to Book Lovers Day. In Murfreesboro, the state’s feature pointed readers to The Grand Exchange as one of the stops on that list. The store is in downtown Murfreesboro at 21 S Public Square, according to local tourism and downtown business listings. ### Why is The Grand Exchange part of this statewide Book Lovers Day push? The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development said Aug. 5 that Book Lovers Day is “celebrated annually Aug. 9” and used the date to spotlight independent bookstores around the state. The department’s roundup said travelers and local shoppers could “explore independent bookstores across Tennessee” and support local businesses during the one-day observance. (tn.gov) The Grand Exchange Bookstore in Murfreesboro was one of the named stops in that state list. A mirrored copy of the state release described the store as a place to “browse the shelves, discover your next favorite read, and experience one of downtown Murfreesboro’s local literary gems.” ### What kind of store is The Grand Exchange? The Grand Exchange is described in multiple local listings as more than a bookstore. (tn.gov) Main Street Murfreesboro lists the business as selling “books, gifts, plants, and local goods,” while Rutherford County tourism says the locally owned shop offers books, gifts, plants, local goods and in-person classes. (publicnow.com) Bookshop.org, which hosts an online storefront for the business, describes The Grand Exchange as “a locally-owned, small independent book, plant, and gift shop” in Murfreesboro. Those descriptions match the state tourism framing of the store as part of a broader independent-bookstore experience tied to Book Lovers Day. ### Where is it, and what can visitors expect downtown? (mainstreetmurfreesboro.org) The Grand Exchange is listed at 21 S Public Square in Murfreesboro, placing it on the downtown square. Main Street Murfreesboro’s business directory gives that address and says the store’s regular hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. (bookshop.org) Rutherford County tourism identifies the same address and says the shop offers books, gifts, plants and local goods. That places the Book Lovers Day stop in one of Murfreesboro’s main downtown retail areas rather than at a temporary festival site. ### Is this a special event or a broader shopping spotlight? Sunday, August 9, is the date Tennessee tourism tied to the promotion, but the available state material describes the effort as a statewide spotlight rather than a ticketed event. (mainstreetmurfreesboro.org) The state release urges readers to visit featured bookstores across Tennessee on Book Lovers Day and does not list admission, registration or a separate event schedule for Murfreesboro. (visitrutherfordtn.com) The wording around The Grand Exchange centers on browsing and shopping. The local business listings also present the store as a standing retail location with regular hours and merchandise categories, not as a one-off pop-up. ### Where can readers find the statewide roundup? The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development published the statewide bookstore roundup on August 5 through the state tourism newsroom. (tn.gov) The article includes The Grand Exchange alongside other Tennessee bookstores highlighted for Book Lovers Day on August 9. (mainstreetmurfreesboro.org) Sunday, August 9, is the next dated milestone in the promotion, and The Grand Exchange’s downtown Murfreesboro storefront at 21 S Public Square is the named local participant in the state’s Book Lovers Day list. (tn.gov)