The 2026 Cincy Bookstore Crawl is scheduled for October 2 through 4 and will include 27 independent bookstores in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, according to the event’s participating-store list. Snapdragon Books & Gifts on Cincinnati’s West Side is among the stops.
Visitors can collect a passport and have it stamped at each bookstore. According to 90.9 WGUC, reaching at least 16 stores qualifies participants for the Super Crawler drawing. The crawl began in 2023 with 12 bookstores, grew to 23 in 2025, and has 27 participating stores in 2026, according to Cincinnati CityBeat.
What visitors will find at Snapdragon
Snapdragon operates in a renovated 1932 home at 4471 Bridgetown Road. The building most recently housed a computer-repair business before Bill and Andrea MacFarland converted it into a bookstore, according to Axios. The store opened in July 2025 and includes six themed book rooms across two main floors; its third floor is used for games and events, according to The Tartan.
The building’s unusual features are part of the shopping experience. The Tartan reported that a false fireplace in the basement leads to a tunnel containing a handmade dragon, and Axios reported that Bill MacFarland helped build the dragon with his daughters. The tunnel is associated with the property’s former bootlegging use, according to The Tartan; that historical provenance has not been independently verified here.
Regional context
The available evidence points to broader strength in independent bookselling but does not provide a Cincinnati- or Ohio-specific tally of openings, closures or ownership changes. According to KPBS Public Media, American Booksellers Association membership grew by more than 500 over the past year to 3,417 members representing 3,783 locations. For neighborhood context, a Westwood plan developed after community discussions in 2024 identified five priorities: business district development; community pride and connections; community and family resources; housing; and transportation and circulation, according to WCPO. The document provides a framework for local commercial and community development but, based on the cited findings, does not quantify bookstore or arts-related changes.
The MacFarlands’ bookstore project began after Bill, formerly an elementary school teacher, proposed the idea and Andrea joined him in developing it, according to Axios. The crawl also gave Snapdragon an early opportunity to attract visitors: the store obtained a place in the event before opening, and Axios reported that attendance during the previous crawl left the shop’s shelves nearly depleted. The same report said the event changed MacFarland’s view of the business and brought customers to the West Side who might not otherwise have visited.
The wider independent-bookstore picture
Snapdragon’s participation comes as independent bookselling expands nationally. The American Booksellers Association reported that membership rose 19% in 2025 and that 605 new brick-and-mortar, mobile, and pop-up bookstores opened during the year. Locally, the crawl is part of Cincinnati’s broader literary calendar, which also includes Books by the Banks, a November book festival at the downtown Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library, according to Movers & Makers.
