Indiana loves literature. It's the home of authors such as John Green, James Alexander Thom and Kurt Vonnegut. While Hoosier booklovers have never needed an excuse to buy books (honestly, what we really need are more shelves), what could be more tempting to a hungry bibliophile than a four-day book crawl?
Nearly two dozen Indiana independent bookstores are participating this year in what organizers have called the inaugural Indy Indie Book Crawl. Hungry readers with a voracious appetite will have a chance beginning Thursday to visit some of Central Indiana's coziest reading spaces, and possibly win a prize or two.
"Book lovers and literature seekers are invited to explore the tapestry of local, independent, and non-profit & community bookstores across the Indianapolis metro area," organizer's said in a news release. "The Indy Indie Book Crawl 2024 (IIBC) is more than just a chance to discover hidden gems; it's an opportunity to support our vibrant local literary community.
Here's what we know about it.
When is the Indy Indie book crawl?
The event happens Thursday, March 21, through Sunday, March 24.
How to participate
If you plan on joining in on the inaugural book crawl, here's what organizers said participants need to do:
- Pick up an IIBC bookmark from any participating store (see the store list below) beginning Thursday.
- Visit one or as many bookstores as you want from Thursday-Sunday, March 21-24.
- Get a mark on your IIBC bookmark with each store you visit, and you might want to visit several, organizers said, because each store visit earns you one entry to win a prize — no purchase necessary.
- Follow @indyindiebookcrawl on Instagram and make at least one social media post during the book crawl dates.
- Once you've completed your Indy Indie Book Crawl, fill out the submission form and include a photo of your bookmark as evidence during the dates of the contest.
- Submissions must be received by the end of Friday, March 29. Prize winners will be announced on Saturday, March 30.
Prizes? Yes. Here's what book crawl participants can win
Not only can bibliophiles sample a rich buffet of independent bookstores, they get a chance to win the best prize of all — books, and the opportunity to get even more books. Here's what participants can possibly win after filling out a submission form:
- A $25 bookstore gift card.
- Bookstore merch items.
- A collection of books supplied by the participating stores.
Winners will be announced Saturday, March 30, according to the organization's website.
Indianapolis independent bookstores participating in the book crawl
The following is a list of independent bookstores around Indianapolis that are participating in the book crawl, where you can find them and their hours during the event.
- Basile History Market at the Indiana Historical Society
- Where: 450 W Ohio St.
- Thurs-Sun. Hours: Thurs-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. Closed.
- Black Worldschoolers Mobile Bookstore (Mobile - Location TBC).
- Dear Mom
- Where: 2121 E 10th St.
- Thurs-Sun. Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Dream Palace Books & Coffee
- Where: 111 E 16th St STE 101.
- Thurs-Sun. Hours: Thurs-Sat. 8 a.m.-8 p.m., Sun. Closed.
- Golden Hour Books
- Where: 5208 N College Ave.
- Thurs-Sun. Hours: Thurs-Sat. 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
- Indy Reads Books
- Where: 1066 Virginia Ave.
- Thurs-Sun. Hours: Thurs-Sat. 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Irvington Vinyl & Books
- Where: 202 S Audubon Rd.
- Thurs-Sun. Hours: Thurs-Sat. Noon-7 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Kids Ink Children's Bookstore
- Where: 5619 N Illinois St.
- Thurs-Sun. Hours: Thurs. 10 a.m.-7p.m., Fri-Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun. Closed.
- Loudmouth Books
- Where: 212 E 16th St.
- Thurs-Sun. Hours: Thurs-Sat. 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Pen & Pink Vintage
- Where: 2435 Shelby St.
- Thurs-Sun. Hours: Thurs-Sat. 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun. Noon-4 p.m.
- Tomorrow Bookstore
- Where: 882 Massachusetts Ave.
- Thurs-Sun. Hours: Thurs-Sat. 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Ujamaa Community Bookstore
- Where: 2424 Doctor M.L.K. Jr St.
- Thurs-Sun. Hours: Thurs-Fri. 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. Noon-4 p.m.
- Kurt Vonnegut Museum & Library
- Where: 543 Indiana Ave.
- Thurs-Sun. Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
More independent bookstores in the Indianapolis metro-area participating in the book crawl
- MacArthur Books - Carmel
- Where: 2169 Glebe St #100a.
- Thurs-Sun. Hours: Thurs-Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun. Closed
- Viewpoint Books - Columbus
- Where: 548 Washington St.
- Thurs-Sun. Hours: Thurs. 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Fri-Sat. 10 a.m.-5p.m., Sun. Closed.
- Wild Geese Bookshop - Franklin
- Where: 40 E Madison St.
- Thurs-Sun. Hours: Thurs. 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Fri-Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Red Dog Books - Greenwood
- Where: 1001 N State Rd 135 d2.
- Thurs-Sun. Hours: Thurs-Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun. Noon-4 p.m.
- Between the Pages - Lebanon
- Where: 2350 N Lebanon St.
- Thurs-Sun. Hours: Thurs-Fri. 11 a.m.-7p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. Closed.
- Fables & Fairy Tales - Martinsville
- Where: 38 N Main St.
- Thurs-Sun. Hours: Thurs-Fri. 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. Noon-5 p.m.
- Three Sisters Books & Gifts - Shelbyville
- Where: 7 Public Sq.
- Thurs-Sun. Hours: Thurs. 10 a.m.-7p.m., Fri. 10 a.m.-7p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sun. 1-4 p.m.
- Turn the Page - Westfield
- Where: 149 N Walnut St.
- Thurs-Sun. Hours: Thurs-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. Noon-4 p.m.
- 4 Kids Books & Toys - Zionsville
- Where: 4450 Weston Pointe Dr #120.
- Thurs-Sun. Hours: Thurs-Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
- Curious Squirrel Bookshop - Zionsville
- Where: 120 S Main St.
- Thurs-Sun. Hours: Thurs-Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun. Noon-4 p.m.
For more information about how to register for the event, visit Indy Indie Book Crawl on its official Instagram page.
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John Tufts covers trending news for the Indianapolis Star. Send him a news tip atJTufts@Gannett.com. Follow him on X at@JTuftsReports.
