Massive Twin Cities Used Book Fair

A used-book sale big enough to fill an ice arena is underway in Northfield this week, with more than 70,000 items on offer. (minnesotamonthly.com) The Annual Northfield Hospital Auxiliary Book Fair runs April 21-25 at Northfield Ice Arena, 1280 Bollenbacher Drive. Hours are 5-9 p.m. Tuesday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, and 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. (exploreminnesota.com) Organizers say the sale includes books, DVDs, CDs, LPs, puzzles, and games, with most items priced under $5. The fair’s own sale page lists base prices of $1 for paperbacks and $2 for hardcovers, with higher prices on some newer or specialty books. (exploreminnesota.com) (northfieldbookfair.org) The event is one of Minnesota’s largest used book sales, and Minnesota Monthly included it in its statewide “Best Bets” list for April 20-26. Northfield Hospital + Clinics called it the region’s biggest book sale and said it draws shoppers from across Minnesota and beyond. (minnesotamonthly.com) (northfieldhospital.org) This is also the last year the fair is being held in the current Northfield Ice Arena. Northfield Hospital + Clinics flagged the venue change in a March 17 announcement about the 2026 sale. (northfieldhospital.org) The sale is a fundraiser for the Northfield Hospital Auxiliary, a nonprofit that supports health care projects in the area. The auxiliary says proceeds help fund scholarships, local health organizations, and special projects for Northfield Hospital + Clinics. (northfieldbookfair.org) Local coverage says the fair has grown into the auxiliary’s largest fundraiser of the year. KYMN reported that proceeds support programs including baby books for newborns, health care scholarships, and community health partnerships. (kymnradio.net) The book fair dates to 1961, when organizers began with a sale on a porch before expanding into an arena-sized event. Northfield News reported this year’s fair is the 63rd and said last year’s sale topped $100,000 in proceeds for the first time. (newsbreak.com) Minnesota has smaller library and Friends-group sales throughout the year, with Hennepin County Library saying many of its sales price books at $2 or less. Northfield’s draw is scale: tens of thousands of items, sorted by subject, over five days. (hclib.org) (exploreminnesota.com) For Twin Cities readers willing to drive south, the pitch is simple: a five-day hunt for cheap used books in arena-sized volume, before this version of the fair leaves its longtime home. (minnesotamonthly.com) (northfieldhospital.org)