Last weekend was the first time Destination: Books has been a bookseller at the Decatur Book Festival (DBF) since 2019.  You may not have noticed my popup this time unless you went for coffee, bike repair or listen to Django Reinhardt inspired music coming from the Journeyman on Claremont. I keep about 40 books there all the time and during the festival I expanded my inventory to fill the store window.  (I had to temporarily and brutally remove the landfill of Legos that the kids like, but it was only for a day.)

The location worked well and I appreciate the Journeyman for letting me set up there. (Of course, I did serve as a Walmart greeter as well).

This experience was in sharp contrast to my popup seven years ago when I had a couple tables at the Georgia Antiquarians Book Fair which is no longer part of the festival. (Sigh).

But It’s Not Over

This weekend there are three more book-related events.  The first is a workshop “Discovering and Preserving Family and Community History” on Saturday, October 10 from 10 a.m. to Noon at the DeKalb History Center which is located in the old Courthouse in downtown Decatur. Tamika Strong, the Manager of the Reference and Research Division at the Auburn Avenue Research Library and I will provide tools and information about this topic.  It’s a great opportunity to exchange thoughts and ideas with like-minded individuals. Tickets and details can be found here.

And a book sale

While you are in downtown Decatur on Saturday (10/10) check out the Friends of the Library Book Sale at Decatur Public Library. The sale will take place on the ground floor of the library, located at 215 Sycamore St from 9:30 to 2 p.m.

The Friends promise that it will be (by far) their biggest and final sale of the year.

And book art too

At the same Decatur library on that same Saturday is the 14^th edition of the Book as Art, an “art show celebrating books: objects that, in an increasingly digital world, stubbornly survive.”

Exhibition Run: September 11 – October 24, 2026

Location: Fourth Floor Gallery of the Decatur Library

Gallery Hours: Thursday to Saturday, 1-5pm