Oh man, I'll never forget those book fairs back in the day. My mom handed me some cash, and off I trotted to the Masonville Elementary book fair. Scholastic held its inaugural book fair in 1981, and since then, children everywhere have considered it a staple of childhood. Shelves lined with furry pens, rad posters, fun knick-knacks galore, and stacks upon stacks of books - it was like stepping into a treasure trove with my ten bucks burning a hole in my pocket.

My go-to haul always included a poster and another installment of Alvin Schwartz's macabre series Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Those eerie tales were a blast, but it was the illustrations that really made the stories jump off the page.

Harper & Row
Harper & Row
loading...

Fast forward to today, I'm on the PTO at my daughter's elementary school, and guess what? Book fairs are still a big deal. She'd get that flier with all the goodies, circle practically everything, and then we'd have to rein it in a bit—budget, you know? She's not exactly a bookworm, so she'd go for the smelly stickers and those goofy pens instead. Still, she'd come home buzzing with stories from the fair, just like I used to.

WDKS-FM logo
Get our free mobile app

And hey, if you're an 1980s+ kid feeling nostalgic for those book fair days, you're in luck! There's one in Evansville!

The Book Fair will be held at Haynie's Corner in Evansville and will be hosted by Bluestocking Social, a small locally owned bookstore in Evansville. Here's what the event page had to say:
Remember the 90s? When you were rewarded with pizza to read more books and the Scholastic Book Fair and the $10 in your pocket made you feel like you were walking on sunshine? Well, we're bringing that magical feeling back to you and adding alcohol! Join us at Haynie's Corner Brewing Co. for a grown up book fair! The Book Fair will run two days:
Tuesday, July 23, 4pm-10pm
Wednesday, July 24, 4pm-10pm
If you are thinking, well dang, I live in Owensboro. Don't worry, there's a book fair coming your way soon too!

Then and Now - See Inside Evansville, Indiana's Eastland Mall

Eastland Mall opened in 1981, and it has changed a lot through the years. JC. Penny still anchors the mall on one end, and what was Lazarus Department Store is now Macy's.

Gallery Credit: Liberty

Then & Now - Evansville's Washington Square Mall Through the Years

Evansville is home to a lot of unique buildings including the first enclosed retail shopping center in Indiana. Yes, our very own Washington Square Mall was the place to be when it opened in 1963. If you walk through the mall today, you would never guess how alive the shops were, even through the 1980s. Enjoy this walk down memory lane I've put together, and maybe someday there will be new life inside 5011 Washington Ave.

Gallery Credit: Liberty

 

More From WDKS-FM