The Westport Friends' Book Fair has been a summer tradition on the South Coast for 55 years. Visitors travel from all over the country to attend this massive book sale, one of the largest and oldest in New England.  "I know entire families who plan their summer vacations around the book fair," says Deana Chase, a member of the Westport Friends Meeting for over 30 years.  “In this day and age when books are very expensive, it's nice that people still have the opportunity to buy [them]."

Over the course of the week-long sale, generations of families share in the delight of discovering lost literary gems, picking through over 25,000 gently-used books for sale ranging in price from six-for-a-dollar to five dollars each for more collectible books.  

The Westport Friends' Book Fair serves as the main fundraising event of the Westport Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) who will be celebrating a milestone 300th anniversary this year.

"The Annual Book Fair raises about 32 percent of our yearly operating costs," says Greg Marsello, who took on the role of Book Fair Steering Committee clerk about eight years ago. The money is allocated for property upkeep expenses, religious education and a “Helping Fund” which supports in-need members of their community.

The Book Fair also benefits the larger community by making books available for purchase at very reasonable rates.

“A very significant percentage of the children's books are bought by teachers, service organizations or charter school parents’ groups for school libraries,” says Gretchen Baker-Smith, Westport Friends' property coordinator.  “We usually get at least a couple sales of well over $100 ---which is a lot of books.”

Each year, the Book Fair Committee starts from scratch, relying on community donations to stock the fair. Book donations are still being accepted and may be dropped off directly in the Book Sorting Shed located between the Meetinghouse and Community House on their property at 938 Main Road in Westport.  For more information, call 508-636-4963 or visit www.westportfriendsmeeting.org

This year, the Book Fair will open with the traditional “opening whistle” on Saturday, July 9th at 11 a.m. on the Meeting House grounds at 938 Main Road in Westport. The Book Fair’s six-for-a-dollar paperbacks can be purchased starting at 10 a.m. with the children’s book section opening exclusively for kids at 10:45 a.m.  Rain or shine, the Book Fair will continue through Sunday, July 16 and will be open from "dawn to dusk."  Light lunch, snacks, and beverages will be sold only on the opening day of the sale.  

Visit the “Westport Friends Annual Book Fair” Facebook page for news and updates or email friendsbookfair@gmail.com