New York City has lost plenty of beloved bookstores over the decades, but the Strand is still blessedly standing—and it is about to celebrate a very big birthday.
The iconic independent bookstore will mark its 99th anniversary with ‘Strand Day’ on Saturday, September 19, 2026.
The day-long celebration will include bookish activities, storytimes, and other special programming planned throughout the day across all of its locations.
A full day of literary celebrations and 20% off
Perhaps most enticingly, absolutely everything in its stores will be 20% off for the occasion.
That means shoppers can save big on new releases, used titles, rare books, and the store’s seemingly endless supply of totes, stationery, calendars, and New York City souvenirs.
Consider it the perfect opportunity to finally pick up that gorgeous hardcover you have been eyeing all season.
The bookstore has not yet revealed the full schedule of festivities, noting that more details will be announced closer to the date.
Still, an all-day discount at one of the city’s most famous literary landmarks is reason enough to clear some space on the bookshelf right now.
Nearly a century of ’18 miles of books’
The Strand was founded in 1927 and became the sole survivor of Manhattan’s old ‘Book Row,’ a stretch of Fourth Avenue once packed with dozens of thriving booksellers.
Its best-known flagship location, at Broadway and East 12th Street near Union Square, is still a bibliophile’s wonderland. Visitors can explore four massive floors filled with more than 2.5 million new, used, and rare books.
Its famously crowded shelves cover just about every subject imaginable, from architecture and art to travel, fiction, and deliciously strange vintage finds.
The shop has long boasted of its ’18 miles of books,’ an appropriately unwieldy slogan for a place where popping in for a single paperback can easily turn into an hour-long expedition.
The outdoor discount racks are their own New York institution, while the Rare Book Room upstairs holds highly collectible volumes for shoppers whose budgets extend beyond the sidewalk bargains.
What to know before you go
Strand Day arrives exactly one year before the beloved store officially reaches the century mark, so consider this the ultimate warm-up party.
If you are looking to restock your fall reading list or grab some early holiday gifts, you will definitely want to make the trip downtown. Just be prepared to carry some heavy tote bags on the subway ride home!
📅 Saturday, September 19, 2026
📍 828 Broadway (at 12th Street) and all other Strand locations
👀 20% discount is available across all stores all day