If your perfect weekend includes cozy corners, stacked shelves, and the thrill of discovering your next favorite read, go ahead and block off your calendar now. The Columbus Indie Bookstore Crawl is back April 25 and 26, and it is basically a choose-your-own-adventure for book lovers.
Kicking off on Independent Bookstore Day, this two-day event invites you to bounce from shop to shop across the city, meeting the people who keep Columbus’ literary scene thriving. You will pick up a passport at your first stop, collect stamps along the way, and turn it in at your final bookstore, which is honestly a very satisfying way to spend a spring weekend.
There are 20 participating stores this year, and the lineup is stacked with well-known local favorites and hidden gems alike.
You can wander through the endless nooks of The Book Loft, pop into Gramercy Books for a curated selection, or swing by Two Dollar Radio Headquarters for something a little offbeat and indie. And that is just the beginning.
Other stops on the crawl include Beanbag Books, The Bibliophile Candle Co., Birdie Books, Blue Couch Bookshop, Bookspace Columbus, Bound by Books, Clintonville Books, Cover to Cover Children’s Books, Dragonfly Bookshop, Escape Into Fiction, Little Gay Bookstore, Next Chapter Bookshop Plus, Novels & Needles, Prologue Bookshop, Storyline Bookshop, Tastes & Tomes, and Wandering Quills Bookshop.
Translation: you have options, and probably not enough room on your shelves.
The goal is simple.
Visit at least seven shops over the weekend and you will be entered to win a literary gift basket. No purchase is required, which means you can fully commit to the experience without pretending you need another book. Although let’s be honest, you are probably leaving with at least one.
Hours run from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, so whether you are an early riser ready to hit the first shop at opening or more of a leisurely browser, there is plenty of time to build your route. You can plan your stops strategically or just wander and see where the day takes you, which feels very on brand for a weekend centered around stories.
You can learn more about the Columbus Indie Bookstore Crawl right here.
