When Mike Graupmann and Amy Cavender started dreaming up a way to benefit Austin\u2019s literary nonprofits and independent bookstores, they knew they wanted to tap into childhood nostalgia. They decided to recreate the magic of Scholastic book fairs.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Together, with the help of Dan Matthews and JenRaye Adams, Graupmann and Cavender created the biannual School-tastic Book Fair for Grownups<\/a> as a place to lean into that nostalgia.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing 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,\u201d Graupmann said. \u201cI want to remind people that community still exists and I want to have events that get people out of their houses.\u201d<\/p>\n The event is back this Saturday at Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex in East Austin \u2014 a venue that Graupmann says fits the \u201890s 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.<\/p>\n \u201cI am really, really interested in helping people to capture that feeling of whimsy \u2026 just the satisfaction of going back to a simpler and easier time,\u201d Graupmann said.<\/p>\n More than 30 vendors will be there, including many of the area\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Proceeds from the event will go to BookSpring<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n