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2026 FALL FEST: THANK YOU FOR JOINING US
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Thank you to everyone who attended this year’s Fall Fest in beautiful San Diego. The energy of the show was absolutely amazing! We had over 170 booksellers attend, representing 85 stores. We also had at least 60 first-time attendees, a representation of the growth in California’s bookstores!
The Exhibit Hall was lively and full of a wonderful selection of publishers, small presses, and gift vendors. We also had a great number of first-time and local vendors this year as well. I hope the connections made are fruitful relationships moving forward. Exhibitors, please provide your feedback so we can continue to improve the Exhibit Hall and make it worth your while from year to year.
Booksellers, we hope the peer-to-peer education and the author panels you all attended serve you well in the coming months (and beyond). Enjoy all of the books you took home and shared with your fellow booksellers. I imagine they’ll lead to amazing events, book clubs, hand-sells, displays, and customer interactions.
I also owe a great deal of gratitude to the San Diego Bookstores who helped us pull off a successful Bookstore Tour. I heard it was a spectacular way for those who attended to kick off their show. It was my pleasure to celebrate you all and the growth the San Diego bookstores are experiencing!
Finally, thank you to everyone who was able to attend our first-in-person Golden Poppy Award ceremony. It was truly a joy to celebrate the authors, booksellers, and publishers who make California the amazing literary scene it is. For those who missed it, yes, I might have teared up a bit at the end. Valentina, Alecia, and I are proud of what we’ve accomplished with the help of so many amazing bookseller/ member volunteers (thank you, thank you) and look forward to growing and improving the Golden Poppy Awards and Fall Fest in the years to come.
Though I am exhausted, my heart is full.
After a brief rest, the CALIBA team will remain busy during the next few months, helping our booksellers to promote the 2026 Golden Poppy Award Winners and Finalists, AND rolling out CALIBA’s new Member Bookstore Map for Indie Bookstore Day 2027! Watch your inbox for more communications!
Best wishes,
Hannah
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