Where will Sylvia be next?

The Indy Indie Book Crawl took over Indianapolis in the best possible way—stretching across neighborhoods, bookstores, and the very walkable, very bustling Stutz Building, where ten of us pop-up folks set up shop. And let me tell you… this was not your average “quiet bookstore weekend.”

The Horizon League staff was truly top notch. Events like this take an incredible amount of coordination, and every single person I met was welcoming, organized, and genuinely excited about having books as part of the experience.

Thanks to the incredible generosity of Philoptochos and The Book Fairy Community Fund, we brought a one-day book fair to IPS 34 where every single student — all 284 of them, from Pre-K through 5th grade — got to pick out a book to take home.

There’s a special kind of buzz that happens when a book fair rolls into a school that hasn’t had one in a while — part curiosity, part excitement, and a whole lot of “wait… we get to pick our own books?!” That was exactly the energy at Irvington Community Middle School this week, and it…

Parents and kids wandered in and out of the store, curiously browsing, picking up last-minute finds, and soaking in that calm-but-festive energy that only happens when everyone knows nap time is looming. The shopping was intentional. Efficient. Cozy. My favorite kind.

The Shake Up Stocking Stuffer Holiday Mart took over High and Mighty Distillery, and let me just say—this was not your grandma’s craft fair (unless your grandma is into craft cocktails, speed dating, and shopping with a drink in hand… in which case, respect).

One of the biggest hits of the night? Drawing with Dan.
Picture this: kids planted firmly at tables, tongues sticking out in concentration, sketching their favorite literary characters. Pigeons, heroes, Greg Heffley—you name it. If Picasso had written chapter books, he would’ve been proud.

People poured in steadily all day long—early afternoon through sunset—wrapped in their warmest coats and cutest holiday outfits. Kids in puffy coats, parents with thermoses, grandparents ready to spoil everyone, and so many sweet pups trotting along.

And threaded through it all?
The gentle giants of South Central Newfoundland Rescue.

These incredible Newfoundlands spent the entire day helping families pull their freshly cut Christmas trees—tails wagging, drool sparkling (it’s festive, okay?), hearts as big as their paws. Watching them work never gets old. They bring pure joy to the farm, and the whole day was in support of their rescue efforts.

Papa Elf gathered the kids for a dramatic reading of Elf, and Buddy himself made an appearance—armed with enough foam snowballs to launch a small arctic invasion. I watched tiny humans cackle with joy while adults tried to sip hot cocoa without getting pelted. Honestly? Beautiful chaos. My favorite genre.

Special Persons Day brought out every beloved human under the sun. And let me tell you — these kids were running around that school like tiny tour guides hopped up on joy and zero intentions of doing any actual classwork.