Rare Book Fairs
Below you’ll find a list of established antiquarian book fairs in North America. They cover the continental United States–from Los Angeles to Vermont, Seattle to St. Petersburg, St. Paul to Houston. We put together this list for the sake of booksellers and collectors alike. We hope you find it useful.
Rare book fairs are important events. They build community in the rare book world. They help promote independent bookstores. They connect collectors to subject specialists. They invite new folks to book collecting. Sometimes, they also include informational events with featured speakers and panels. But most of all, book fairs are a lot of fun! If you enjoy perusing the shelves at bookstores, you’ll love rare book fairs. They’re like one large bookstore composed of many booksellers. They create these incredible samplings of the greatest books on the market. There’s really nothing else like it.
We hope to expand this list to include international book fairs and other American book fairs we might have missed. If you know of a regularly occurring antiquarian book fair that is not included below, please Contact Us. We’ll be happy to add it.
Interactive Map of Book Fairs:
Major Promoters & Hosts
But first, a quick note on some prolific book fair promoters, hosts, and institutions. These organizations each host one or more regularly occurring fairs, but they also often host one-off fairs and events. To stay up to speed on less consistent book fairs and events, you may want to check out these organizations:
Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America (ABAA)
The ABAA hosts the most prestigious rare book fairs in North America. They are exclusive to ABAA members which means everything exhibited at their fairs is reviewed by experts. The ABAA also co-sponsors other regional fairs, but this should not be confused with its primary hosting events, which are held annually in California, New York, and Boston. You can learn more about the ABAA’s various events here.
Fine Book Fairs
Fine Book Fairs is a company that hosts and promotes its own book fairs. They are relatively new, but they’ve shown success in establishing an annual Philadelphia fair and hosting other fairs in Washington DC, Georgetown, and Buffalo, NY. You can learn more about Fine Book Fairs here.
Rare Books LA
Rare Books LA is a hosting company that established itself by running parallel fairs to the ABAA fairs in California. After numerous iterations, they’ve proven a need for non-ABAA book fairs. Their fairs rotate cities on the West Coast and they’ve also adopted the New York non-ABAA fair. You can learn more about Rare Books LA here.
List of Rare Book Fairs:
Akron Antiquarian Book Fair
Hosted By: Northern Ohio Bibliophilic Society
Size: small (20 – 50 exhibitors)
History: A longstanding rare book fair in Akron, going back to at least the early 1980s.
When: held annually in March
Location: Akron, OH
More Info: https://www.nobsbooks.org/akron-antiquarian-book-fair
Albuquerque Antiquarian Book Fair
Hosted By: Southwest Antiquarian Booksellers Association (SABA)
Size: small (20 – 50 exhibitors)
History: A longstanding rare book fair in Albuquerque, going back to at least the early 1990s. Exhibitors come primarily from the Southwest.
When: held annually in March
Location: Albuquerque, NM
More Info: https://www.abqbookfair.com/
Allentown Paper Show
Hosted By: Sean Klutinoty
Size: medium (50 – 90 exhibitors)
History: A longstanding diverse paper show (50+ years). Exhibitors include poster dealers, paper makers, rare book dealers, comic book dealers, and other collectible dealers.
When: held biannually–once in April, once in October
Location: Allentown, PA
More Info: https://www.allentownpapershow.com/
Ann Arbor Antiquarian Book Fair
Hosted By: West Side Book Shop
Size: small (20 – 50 exhibitors)
History: A longstanding rare book fair in Ann Arbor, going back to the 1970s. Exhibitors come from across the Midwest and elsewhere.
When: held annually in October
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
More Info: https://annarborbookfair.com/
Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair
Hosted By: Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America (ABAA)
Size: large (100+ exhibitors)
History: A longstanding ABAA fair in Boston, going back to the 1970s. Only ABAA accredited sellers are allowed to exhibit.
When: held annually in November
Location: Boston, MA
More Info: https://www.abaa.org/bostonbookfair
California Antiquarian Book Fair
Hosted By: Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America (ABAA)
Size: large (100+ exhibitors)
History: A longstanding and prestigious ABAA fair in California. They have been hosting it since the late 1960s. Only ABAA accredited sellers are allowed to exhibit.
When: held annually in February.
Location: either Pasadena, CA, or San Francisco/Oakland, CA, depending on the year
More Info: https://www.abaa.org/cabookfair
Capital Rare Book Fair
Hosted By: Fine Book Fairs
Size: small (20 – 50 exhibitors)
History: A relatively new fair held by Fine Book Fairs. It is one of their primary events held in Washington DC every year since the 2010s.
When: held annually in May
Location: Washington, DC
More Info: https://finefairs.com/capital-rare-book-fair
Chicago Book & Paper Fair
Hosted By: Midwest Antiquarian Booksellers Association (MWABA)
Size: small (20 – 50 exhibitors)
History: A longstanding book fair in Chicago, going back to the 1970s. Exhibitors are primarily from the Chicago area and the Midwest.
When: held annually in June
Location: Chicago, IL
More Info: https://mwaba.com/
Cooperstown Antiquarian Book Fair
Hosted By: Willis Monie Books
Size: small (20 – 50 exhibitors)
History: A longstanding book fair in Cooperstown, going back to the early 1990s. Exhibitors are primarily from the Northeast.
When: held annually in June
Location: Cooperstown, NY
More Info: https://www.wearecooperstown.com/events/the-antiquarian-book-fair/
Florida Antiquarian Book Fair
Hosted By: Florida Antiquarian Booksellers Association (FABA)
Size: medium (50 – 90 exhibitors)
History: A longstanding book fair in Florida, going back to at least the early 1980s. Exhibitors primarily come from the Southeast.
When: held annually in March
Location: St. Petersburg, FL
More Info: https://www.floridaantiquarianbookfair.com/
Fort Worth Antiquarian Book Fair
Hosted By: Texas Booksellers Association (TxBA)
Size: small (20 – 50 exhibitors)
History: There’s not a lot of accessible information online, but it seems to be consistently hosted in August every year, going back to the 2010s. Exhibitors primarily come from Texas and the Southwest.
When: held annually in August
Location: Fort Worth, TX
More Info: https://www.texasbooksellers.org/
Houston Book Show
Hosted By: Texas Booksellers Association (TxBA)
Size: small (20 – 50 exhibitors)
History: It’s been inconsistent over the last few years. There is very little information about it online.
When: held annually in January or February
Location: Houston, TX
More Info: https://texasbooksellers.org/
Manhattan Rare Book & Fine Press Fair
Hosted By: Rare Books LA
Size: medium (50 – 90 exhibitors)
History: Long considered the “shadow” NY book fair, it is held around the same time as the more exclusive ABAA New York fair, allowing non-ABAA booksellers a venue. Rare Books LA recently became the main promoter.
When: held annually in April
Location: New York, NY
More Info: https://rarebooksla.com/new-york-exhibitors/
Michigan Antiquarian Book & Paper Show
Hosted By: Mid-Michigan Antiquarian Book Dealers Association (MMABDA)
Size: medium (50 – 90 exhibitors)
History: A very old Midwest rare book fair, going back to at least the 1950s. Exhibitors come from all over the Midwest and beyond.
When: held annually in October
Location: Lansing, MI
More Info: http://www.curiousbooks.com/shows.html
Minnesota Antiquarian Book Fair
Hosted By: Midwest Book Fair Productions, LLC
Size: small (20 – 50 exhibitors)
History: It’s longstanding event in the Twin Cities, going back to at least the early 1990s. It used to be hosted by the Midwest Antiquarian Booksellers Association (MWABA), but that changed in recent years. It attracts mostly local and regional exhibitors.
When: held annually in July
Location: St. Paul, MN
More Info: https://minnesotaantiquarianbookfair.wordpress.com/
New York International Antiquarian Book Fair
Hosted By: Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America (ABAA)
Size: large (100+ exhibitors)
History: Considered by many to be the greatest antiquarian book fair in the world, this event goes back to the 1960s. It is exclusive to ABAA and ILAB members. There is a range of items showcased, but it is noted for often having the rarest and most valuable books on the market.
When: held annually in April
Location: New York, NY
More Info: https://www.nyantiquarianbookfair.com/
Northampton Antiquarian Book Fair
Hosted By: Mark Brumberg
Size: small (20 – 50 exhibitors)
History: It’s a small regional fair held since the 2010s. It attracts local and regional exhibitors.
When: held annually in November
Location: Northampton, MA
More Info: https://www.northamptonbookfair.com/
Northern New England Book Fair
Hosted By: Richard Mori
Size: small (20 – 50 exhibitors)
History: A longstanding regional fair attracting bibliophiles from across northern New England.
When: held annually in June
Location: Concord, NH
More Info: https://apassion4books.com/
Paper Town Ephemera and Book Fair
Hosted By: Richard Mori
Size: small (20 – 50 exhibitors)
History: A longstanding fair highlighting ephemeral matter, but plenty of books, too. It has been held at least since the 1990s.
When: held biannually in June and October
Location: Boxboro, MA
More Info: https://paper-town.com/
Philadelphia Rare Book and Print Fair
Hosted By: Fine Book Fairs
Size: small (20 – 50 exhibitors)
History: It’s a new fair but it’s been growing each year. It also includes social events and featured speakers.
When: held annually in December
Location: Philadelphia, PA
More Info: https://finefairs.com/philadelphia%2C-pa
Rare Books LA
Hosted By: Rare Books LA
Size: large (100+ exhibitors)
History: A relatively new series of book fairs hosted by the Rare Books LA company. They’ve been successful in attracting exhibitors from all over the West Coast and elsewhere. They often host “shadow” fairs around the same time as the more exclusive ABAA fairs.
When: held annually at various dates depending on the year (sometimes February, April, October, etc.)
Location: held in different cities each year. Historically, they’ve been Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Pasadena. Look to the Rare Books LA updates for more info.
More Info: https://rarebooksla.com/
Rocky Mountain Book and Paper Fair
Hosted By: Rocky Mountain Antiquarian Booksellers Association (RMABA)
Size: small (20 – 50 exhibitors)
History: A longstanding fair going back to the 1980s. It attracts mostly regional exhibitors.
When: held annually in August
Location: Castle Rock, CO
More Info: https://www.rmaba.org/
Rose City Book & Paper Fair
Hosted By: Cascade Booksellers Association (CBA)
Size: medium (50 – 90 exhibitors)
History: A popular regional book fair going back to the 2000s. It attracts mostly regional exhibitors.
When: held annually in June
Location: Portland, OR
More Info: https://cascadebooksellers.com/rose-city-used-book-fair/
Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair
Hosted By: Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair (SABF)
Size: medium (50 – 90 exhibitors)
History: A major regional book fair held annually since at least the early 2010s. It attracts exhibitors from all over the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere.
When: held annually in October
Location: Seattle, WA
More Info: https://www.seattlebookfair.com/
Tennessee Book and Paper Fair
Hosted By: Holly Segar of Caroliniana Rare Books
Size: small (20 – 50 exhibitors)
History: A new Tennessee fair with exhibitors primarily coming from the area and neighboring states.
When: held annually in July
Location: Franklin, TN
More Info: https://tennesseebookfair.com/
Toronto Antiquarian Book Fair
Hosted By: Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of Canada (ABAC)
Size: medium (50 – 90 exhibitors)
History: A longstanding book fair going back to at least the early 1970s. It attracts booksellers from across Canada and the United States.
When: held annually in September
Location: Toronto, Canada
More Info: https://tabf.abac.org/
Vermont Antiquarian Book Fairs
Hosted By: Vermont Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association (VABA)
Size: small (20 – 50 exhibitors)
History: A longstanding pair of book fairs going back to at least the early 1990s. The summer fair is primarily focused on books. The spring fair is also known for its postcard exhibitors. Both are fairly small, attracting exhibitors from Vermont and the neighboring states.
When: held biannually, once in April, once in August
Location: either St. Albans or Bennington, VT