Clear your schedules, bibliophiles, and book bargain hunters! The region's biggest literary event, the Kingsport Book Fair, is swaggering back into town next week, ready to dish out a smorgasbord of paperbacks, hardcovers, and all forms of media for avid readers. Set to unfold from February 28 to March 2 at the Meadowview Conference Resort and Convention Center, this literary feast is a joint effort by the Friends of the Library, the Literacy Council of Kingsport, and the Sullivan County Imagination Library Board, as reported by Kingsporttn.gov.
For those looking to snag the cream of the crop before the masses descend, there's a special preview sale on February 27, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and you'll need to fork out $10 for the privilege. The academic community gets its peek on February 29, with a $5 entry fee from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., and though you're encouraged to flash a valid faculty/staff/student ID, you won't be turned away if you forget it at home. Regular hours are generous: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and an afternoon stretch from 12:45 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
What's up for grabs? According to the organizers, expect over 30 categories teeming with books, vinyl records, audiobooks, music CDs, DVDs, and more. Each item, donated over the past year, carries a small price tag, mostly ranging from 25 cents to $5. If you're planning to pay with plastic, make sure your haul adds up to at least $25; it's cash only for the smaller spends. Keep an eye on the clock Saturday post-4 p.m. for half-price deals and swing by first thing Sunday for the coveted $10 bag sale.
The stash this year is particularly rich, thanks in part to an influx from the Kingsport Public Library itself, which is shedding some weight before moving to new digs at Fort Henry Mall as the downtown location gets a facelift. Shoppers can sift through a quirky mix that includes popular fiction, weighty non-fiction, cookbooks, vinyl music records, and a freshly minted category centered on fitness and wellness. And for those with local tastes, the Regional Interest section will not disappoint, boasting everything from the Appalachian-focused FoxFire series to works by Ron Rash and Adriana Trigiani.
Last year, the fair garnered over $32,000 in sales, all funneling back into local literacy programs – a testament to the event's success and the community-wide hunger for the written word. With the throngs of voracious readers poised to descend upon Meadowview, it's not just a chance to score some new reads; it's an investment in the literacy legacies of Kingsport's citizens, fostering a future as vibrant as the very pages they turn.
