PVLF 2025

Hundreds Attended the First Day of the Biennial BSO Book Fair

Discover a treasure trove of books at the Brantford Symphony Orchestra's annual fundraiser. Bookworms unite for incredible deals!
on Apr 26, 2024

Several hundred book lovers attended the first day of the Brantford Symphony Orchestra's (BSO) annual book fair fundraiser on Wednesday, April 24, 2024.

The book fair has been running since 1964, and the committee has become the biggest source of funding for the BSO's operations and exhibitions. The proceeds from this four-day festival will help fund upcoming concerts such as Classical Sax and Strings.

Before the event began, well over 200 people had lined up to enter the historic City Hall building, and as the doors opened, bookworms soon spread out to uncover the treasures that awaited them.

With roughly 25 rooms distributed across the building's ground and lower levels, clients of all ages moved from section to section, browsing through the many books to see what they might find.

Patrons came prepared with lists, reusable shopping bags, and even luggage, eager to enhance their collections. With thousands of books, crafts, CDs, DVDs, puzzles, and other items to choose from, customers had their hands, boxes, and bags full.

While many people purchased books from a range of genres, others went in search of books on specialized topics such as sewing and knitting, cuisine and gardening, religion and history, poetry, and more.

A few attempted to find quiet places to comb through their finds, double-check their lists, or persuade themselves not to bring anything else home with them.

Beth Fletcher, a Kitchener resident, was one of many first-time buyers at the book fair, and the out-of-town visitor struggled to handle her three bags (loaded with roughly 50 books) while waiting in line to cash out.

She rested her prize on the ground for the time being, saying she was impressed with the enormous occasion.

"I'm loving it so far, I've been specifically trying to grab sci-fi and children's books and I found quite a bit," she said with a laugh. "It was a little cramped with everyone in here, but I really liked how they organized everything in different rooms so it kind of made it easy to find."

With book prices starting at one dollar, friends and families could be overheard asking each other how much their total was and discussing the fantastic discounts they discovered as they walked out the door.

Prakhar Garg and Amber Goyit flew from Hamilton to attend the long-awaited event. Goyit, who is originally from Brantford, said she has been going to the sale every year for at least a decade.

"We were really looking for everything today; fiction, non-fiction, just all of it," she said with a giggle."I think I spent a good $104 today and I got a pretty good large box for that, so I'm happy."

While she stated she enjoys all book formats, including audio and digital, Garg said he prefers reading physical books over any other choice.

"One, it's easier on the eyes and you get away from that blue-light," he went on to say. "Two, it's just more tactile for me, I like to put tabs in my books so it's nice to be able to physically flip through and see what caught my attention."

While the two first believed they had purchased everything they needed for the day, they ended up returning for one more round of browsing before leaving, a self-proclaimed "desert."

Penny MacKenzie, a BSO book fair committee member, stated that despite the committee's hard work and only four weeks to complete it, it was all worthwhile to see so many individuals who are still passionate about books.

"It's been wonderful, I'm really pleased to see that so many people are still interested in reading," McKenzie added.

She stated that in the first two hours alone, she had seen approximately 500 people come through the doors.

"You know, people love this book fair so much because not only is it supporting a wonderful cause, but because the books are just so reasonably priced," she went on to say. "In a regular book store, the books can go for $45, and while they can always still go to a library, here they can take home 15-plus books for the same amount and that's just a wonderful thing."

For those who missed the opening day, the show will be held at Brantford's former City Hall building until April 27. Shoppers can visit between 9:30 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, and 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 27.