When Mike Graupmann and Amy Cavender started dreaming up a way to benefit Austin's literary nonprofits and independent bookstores, they knew they wanted to tap into childhood nostalgia. They decided to recreate the magic of Scholastic book fairs.
You know the ones. Teachers would hand out the catalog brimming with colorful book covers, stationary and more. You would grab a crisp Capri-Sun out of the fridge, pop the cap off your marker and go to town making the ultimate wishlist before those big silver cases appeared in the cafeteria.
Together, with the help of Dan Matthews and JenRaye Adams, Graupmann and Cavender created the biannual School-tastic Book Fair for Grownups as a place to lean into that nostalgia.
"Being now in my 40s, I just feel old a lot of the time, and when I get those moments of just getting to escape that for a little while, I want to create that for other people," Graupmann said. "I want to remind people that community still exists and I want to have events that get people out of their houses."
The event is back this Saturday at Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex in East Austin — a venue that Graupmann says fits the '90s vibes the group is going for. The book fair runs from 12-5 p.m., and tickets are $16 ahead of time or $20 at the door.
"I am really, really interested in helping people to capture that feeling of whimsy … just the satisfaction of going back to a simpler and easier time," Graupmann said.
More than 30 vendors will be there, including many of the area's independent bookstores, nonprofits and bookish vendors. On offer are a wide array of activities, including drag queen story time, flash tattoos, yearbook photo sessions, P.E. games of yore, raffle prizes and more.
Proceeds from the event will go to BookSpring, a nonprofit focused "on building literacy skills and the motivation to read through increasing home libraries and reading aloud activities for children" throughout Central Texas.
This isn't the only book fair in town or the only one taking place this weekend. Austin Beerworks is also hosting one at its Sprinkle Valley location on Saturday. A few weeks ago, BookWoman, Birdhouse Books and the Book Burrow participated in the ATX Queer Book Fair.
Graupmann said these events are a way for people to return to a safe and welcoming atmosphere during a time where many things in the world feel tense.
"Book fairs are something that literally everybody can agree on — that it was one of the happiest days of their elementary school," he said.
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