The Upper Valley’s independent bookstores will celebrate Independent Bookstore Day on Saturday, April 27, with exclusive items, giveaways, author visits,  and the return of the Upper Valley Indie Bookstore Crawl.

This year, five local bookstores  - Yankee Bookshop in Woodstock, Vermont, Still North Books & Bar in Hanover, New Hampshire, Left Bank Books in Hanover, New Hampshire, Cover to COVER Books in White River Junction, and the Norwich Bookstore in Norwich, Vermont - have teamed up on the Indie Bookstore Crawl, which will take place all day on April 27. As in past years, participants can pick up an Indie Bookstore Crawl map at any of the five bookstores on Saturday morning. In order to complete the crawl, participants need to visit each of the other bookstores throughout the day, and get their map stamped at each one. Completed maps can be turned in at any one of the five bookstores, where Bookstore Crawl “champions” will be entered into a drawing for a prize package.

This year’s Indie Bookstore Crawl map was drawn by Jenna Shepard, a bookseller at the Yankee Bookshop. Shepard studied at Savannah College of Art and Design, and is a freelance concept artist and illustrator who “find(s) a huge satisfaction in dreaming up a whole new world and seeing it come to life.” Her work can be seen on Instagram @artbyjennashep.

In addition to the bookstore crawl, each bookstore will add their own spin to the festivities throughout the day: Yankee Bookshop will have exclusive Independent Bookstore Day items for sale and giveaways, Still North will have giveaways and promotions including a free tote with every $100 spent, a raffle, and beer flights, and the Norwich Bookstore will offer exclusive items,  a visit from mystery author Sarah Stewart Taylor, who will be a “guest bookseller” from 1-3pm, a scavenger hunt to win free audiobooks, and the popular “blind date with a book” - for every $25 spent, customers get to choose a free wrapped book with a short description (written by booksellers), and take a chance on a new read.

Independent Bookstore Day, a national celebration held annually on the last Saturday in April, is celebrating its 11th anniversary this year. More information about Independent Bookstore Day, including a list of participating stores nationwide and a list of this year’s exclusive items, visit indiebound.org/independent-bookstore-day.

Independent Bookstore Day festivities will take place all day on Saturday, April 27. For each store’s hours on Independent Bookstore Day, please visit their websites.