HHFB Community Book Fair Starts October 15
Hoosier Hills Food Bank will present the 42nd Annual Community Book Fair from October 15-20, 2026 at the Monroe County Fairgrounds. This treasured event will again feature a wide selection of two buildings worth of books, games, puzzles, movies and music at bargain prices to support the food bank’s hunger relief programs.
The Book Fair will kick off Thursday, October 15th at 9am. Opening Day carries a $10 admission fee, but it’s also Veteran’s Appreciation Day and veterans are welcome for free admission. All other days are free admission. This year’s schedule is:
- Thursday, October 15, 9am-7pm. Admission $10, veterans and active duty military are free. Monroe County Veterans Services info table with staff available to assist veterans. Weenies on Wheels food truck. The Fizzory specialty drinks 11-3.
- Friday, October 16, 9am-7pm. FREE Admission. Guests of all ages are encouraged to come in Halloween costumes in order to participate in a Trick or Treat event, stopping in at locations around the book fair with a punch card to enter a drawing for great prizes. Trick or Treat will take place 10am-3pm. Weenies on Wheels food truck.
- Saturday, October 17, 9am-6pm. FREE Admission. Adoptable Animals from Bloomington Animal Shelter 11am-1pm. Weenies on Wheels food truck. Honey Brew Coffee 11-3.
- Sunday, October 18, 9am-6pm. FREE Admission. Half-price Day. Heroes Day – firefighters and fire trucks 12-3pm. Honey Brew Coffee 11-3.
- Monday, October 19, 9am-6pm. FREE Admission. $10 Bag Day, $20 Bags for Better Books, limit 2.
- Tuesday, October 20, 9am-6pm. FREE Admission. $5 Bag Day. Better Books Closed.
An estimated 100,000 items will be available for sale including fiction and non-fiction hardback and paperback books of all categories, DVDs, CDs, LPs, games, puzzles and some specialty items including maps, ephemera and a large selection of new, unopened CDs and DVDs. The Better Books section includes a large number of antique, rare, signed and collectible books as well as graphic novels, manga and some comics. The selection of both general and vintage (Better Books) children’s books is larger than ever this year and as usual, there is a large horror/science fiction section and lots of craft books and supplies.
A selection of locally made bowls from the Soup Bowl benefit will also be available for sale and make great holiday gifts. Snacks, including Chocolate Moose ice cream, will be available for purchase and Weenies on Wheels food truck will be on hand Thursday, Friday and Saturday with a great selection of hot dogs, walking tacos, lemonade and more. Specialty drinks from The Fizzory will be available Thursday and Honey Brew Coffee will be on site Saturday and Sunday. Adoptable animals from the Bloomington Animal Shelter will be available to interview potential new human companions on Saturday, October 17 and Trucks and firefighters from Monroe Fire Protection District will be at the book fair for Heroes Day on Sunday, October 18 from noon-3pm.
Monroe County Veteran’s Services will be on hand during Opening Day to support area veterans with information. And once again, HHFB will also partner with Constellation Stage to promote their upcoming performances of R. L. Stine’s Goosebumps the Musical: Phantom of the Auditorium. Constellation will provide an information table and discount ticket opportunities.
Book Fair prices are generally $3 for hardbacks and $1 for paperbacks, with children’s books priced at $1 for hardbacks and 50 cents for paperbacks. Other prices are $3 for DVDs and $2 for CDs and 50 cents for LPs. All Better Books and some other items are priced individually.
Sponsors help defray the costs involved in hosting the book fair. This year’s corporate sponsors include: Novo Nordisk, Boston Scientific, Finney Hospitality Group, Garnish Catering, Hoosier Energy, Indiana Daily Student, Lamar Advertising Company, Monroe County Fairgrounds, Morgenstern’s Books, One World Enterprises, Republic Services, Southside Rental and Strauser Construction.
Donations for the book fair are accepted year round except in October. Gently used books, DVDs, CDs, LPs, Puzzles and Games are welcome. Magazines, Cassettes and VHS tapes are not accepted. But donors are strongly requested to hold any book donations until November.
The Book Fair is a fundraising event for HHFB, a non-profit organization rescuing, collecting and distributing food to neighbors facing food insecurity and the agencies that serve them. HHFB supports over 80 partner agencies in Brown, Lawrence, Orange, Owen, Martin and Monroe Counties and provides a dozen monthly mobile pantry distributions which together reach over 55,000 households on average.
