Philly book enthusiasts have something to look forward to next month. From Thursday, Dec. 7 through Dec. 9., the second annual Philadelphia Rare Book Fair will invite guests to peruse books and ephemera from over 20 vendors inside the historic Trinity Memorial Church near Rittenhouse Square.
The three-day book fair, which will host over 20 rare book vendors from across the country, will kick off on Dec. 7 with a preview night event featuring live music, food, wine, cocktails and other beverages for an entry fee of $50. The book fair will then be open to the public for free on Dec. 8 and 9.
The Philadelphia Rare Book Fair will showcase reputable rare book vendors from up and down the northeastern United States, including B&B Rare Books from New York City, Capitol Hill Books from Washington, DC, and Back Creek Books from Annapolis, Maryland. The event will also include local vendors like Center City bookseller Bauman Rare Books, MacManus Rare Books from Bryn Mawr, Bruce McKittrick Rare Books in Ardmore and Between the Covers from Gloucestor City, NJ.
The book fair will feature a wide variety of rare, out-of-print literature, first edition copies, autographed books, and unique collections and book sets. Rare book marketplaces such as this will feel more like a trip to a museum than an afternoon spent perusing Barnes and Noble. It’s where you can find things like an 1840 first edition Alexis de Tocqueville book set for $62,000 or a first edition copy of Robert Frank’s autobiography for $7,500.
The book fair is put together by Fine Book Fairs, an organization founded in 2022 to host and promote book fairs in the United States. The organization’s bookselling events are typically hosted in historic buildings. This year’s Philadelphia Rare Book Fair will take place at Trinity Memorial Church at 22nd and Spruce streets, where it has operated as a place of worship and community event space for over 125 years.
Philadelphia Rare Book Fair
Thursday Dec. 7 through Saturday Dec. 9
Times vary | $50 for opening night | Free Friday & Saturday
Trinity Memorial Church
2212 Spruce St., Philadelphia, PA 19103