Thousands of Brandon Sanderson fans showed up in Pleasant Grove on Saturday for Dragonsteel's first-ever in-person Light Day Market, swapping the company's usual online-only sale for a chance to tour the warehouse, meet fellow readers and snap up discounted books before the holiday rush. The event ran from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Dragonsteel headquarters, 1027 West 700 South, and marked a new twist on a sale that has existed online for years.
As reported by KSL News, the market gave visitors the chance to shop discounted merchandise, tour company facilities and meet fellow fans, all under one roof at Dragonsteel's Utah County headquarters. Dragonsteel typically holds Light Day online each October, in part so employees can spend more family time during the holiday season, but this year the company brought the sale outdoors and in-person for the first time.
Why Dragonsteel Moved Its Black Friday Alternative Earlier
Sanderson created Light Day as his own version of Black Friday, timed so his staff would not have to work the actual holiday shopping weekend. Speaking in September at FanX, Sanderson explained the thinking behind the sale, according to The Salt Lake Tribune: “‘Light Day’ is where we do our kind of Black Friday thing, but we do it way early because I don't want my team to have to work on Black Friday.” He also noted that local customers who come for the holidays would like to pick up their books in person and skip paying for shipping.
That same month, Sanderson announced the in-person market would take place Oct. 24 at Dragonsteel headquarters, the Tribune reported. Dragonsteel's own weekly update, posted on brandonsanderson.com, described the broader Light Day sales period as stretching across seven weeks and promised plenty of new merchandise alongside the discounts. The company framed the earlier timing as a way to ease the late-November order crunch, noting the plan was meant so there's less of a panic with people ordering late in November.
Warehouse Tours and a First-in-Line Fan
Matt Hatch, Dragonsteel's vice president of operations, said the market let visitors see firsthand where the company's products are created before being shipped to customers around the world. Tours took fans through the warehouse and creative department, lasting about 20 minutes each, with new groups entering roughly every five minutes throughout the day. Hatch also credited the fan base for embracing Sanderson's sometimes crazy, fun ideas, per KSL's report.
David Finley told the outlet he arrived at 7:30 a.m. to be first in line, hoping to snag discounted illustrated and leather-bound editions along with newly released merchandise. He said the event offered a new Mistborn jacket and illustrated leather-bound books among the draws. Dragonsteel officials described the gathering as an outdoor version of several fan events the company already hosts each year, distinct from Dragonsteel Nexus, its annual convention scheduled for December.
What Was On Sale, From Leatherbounds to Slug Plushies
The in-person market coincided with Dragonsteel's online Light Day sale, which runs Oct. 24 through Oct. 27 and includes 20% off almost everything in the shop along with 50% off Radiant Order merchandise, according to a guide published by ManatOast Media. A new signed and numbered Skyward leatherbound edition launched alongside the sale, and the same report noted Dragonsteel restocked some of its popular Skyward slug plushies and offered a bundle pairing the leatherbound with a slug of the buyer's choice.
Mistborn merchandise first introduced in London was also set to return as part of a Light Day bundle, per the same report. The announcement invited visitors to meet the Dragonsteel team but stopped short of promising a Sanderson signing or appearance. Morgan Peterson, cited in KSL's coverage, described Light Day simply as Sanderson's Black Friday alternative, with products marked down ahead of the broader holiday shopping season.
