{"id":236575,"date":"2026-07-06T10:55:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-06T10:55:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/236575\/"},"modified":"2026-07-06T10:55:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-06T10:55:11","slug":"the-great-pittsburgh-book-crawl-is-back-and-you-wont-want-to-miss-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/236575\/","title":{"rendered":"The Great Pittsburgh Book Crawl is back and you won’t want to miss it"},"content":{"rendered":"

Book lovers, take note: From Saturday, July 18, through Sunday, July 26, a group of 30 independent bookstores<\/a> across Southwestern Pa. are participating in the second annual Great Pittsburgh Book Crawl<\/a>. It\u2019s a chance to find a new favorite book or favorite store.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe big overall goal here is to bring better awareness to the community that indie bookstores are here, and we want to be part of your everyday life,\u201d explained Lizzie McCoy, the owner of Blythe Books<\/a> in Brentwood and organizer of the Book Crawl.<\/p>\n

The Book Crawl is a great event to do as a family. Stores and events are designed to appeal to all ages. I spent last year\u2019s Book Crawl discovering all kinds of new and interesting bookstores with my parents.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how to get involved: Join the fun by picking up a free passport at any of the participating stores (available beginning on July 18). Then, get your passport stamped at every store you visit. With at least 15 stamps, you can be entered in a raffle to win a mystery prize.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/a>Photo by Ava Baird.<\/p>\n

GET INVOLVED EARLY<\/p>\n

Last year, although organizers printed 2,000 passports, demand was so high that there were none left after the second day. This year, there was an option to pre-order a passport for $5. But that opportunity closed on May 30. So I recommend going to any participating bookstore as early as possible on July 18 to get your free passport.<\/p>\n

Another change to the Book Crawl this year: In order to get a stamp in your passport, participants will need to either find the \u201chidden object\u201d at each store or make a purchase.\u00a0<\/p>\n

McCoy shared information with us about this change: \u201cWe had a problem at some stores last year where people would run in, get a stamp, and leave,\u201d she explained. \u201cThey wouldn\u2019t buy anything, which is fine. That\u2019s not a requirement. But they also would not really spend time in the store, and clog a lot of the checkout space where people were actually making purchases.\u201d<\/p>\n

But, she says, purchases definitely aren\u2019t mandatory to participate in the Book Crawl: \u201cWe very much, at the heart of this, want this to remain a free event.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

This year, the Book Crawl has also expanded to include even more stores and counties. \u201cWe\u2019re in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Westmoreland, and Washington counties this year,\u201d McCoy says. \u201cLast year we were only in Allegheny, Butler, and Armstrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/a>Photo of Blythe Books, one of the stops on the Great Pittsburgh Book Crawl, courtesy of Lizzie McCoy.<\/p>\n

As a Beaver County native, I\u2019m excited to visit the Beaver County bookstore Modern Mercantile<\/a>. I also can\u2019t wait to check out the two specialty romance stores, The Shelf Love Society<\/a> and Passionate Pages<\/a>. Last year, I discovered my favorite bookstore, Blythe Books, as part of the Book Crawl.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I hope that you find your new favorite bookstore this year.<\/p>\n

While not a requirement, some stores may offer sales, special events, or extended hours. Last year, I met local author R.L. Davennor at Blythe Books and received a signed copy of her book \u201cThe Land of Never After.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/a>Author R.L. Davennor signed books during last year\u2019s Book Crawl. Photo by Ava Baird.<\/p>\n

Blythe Books will have authors visiting for book signings again this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cDifferent days, I have different authors coming that I\u2019m super excited about because it gets them in front of a lot of new readers. There are several other stores I know of that are doing similar author events,\u201d McCoy says.<\/p>\n

Checking each store\u2019s individual social media or websites to know what events they\u2019re planning and when. These websites are all linked to the official Great Pittsburgh Book Crawl website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

McCoy encourages people to support local businesses by participating in the Book Crawl. \u201cEven if you\u2019re only able to stop at one store during the Book Crawl, it\u2019s still one that you\u2019re supporting. And it means the world to all of us, whether you stopped at our store or not.\u201d<\/p>\n

Visit pghbookcrawl.com<\/a> or follow @pghbookcrawl<\/a> on Instagram to learn more. And don\u2019t forget to celebrate summer reading season by joining the Jerome Bettis Summer Reading Challenge<\/a> (enter to win Steelers tickets!) and stay tuned for upcoming \u201cWon\u2019t You Be a Reader?<\/a>\u201d events this fall. Lastly, have you got young kids? Don\u2019t forget to sign up for Dolly Parton\u2019s Imagination Library<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t