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Northern Virginia’s independent bookstore crawl returns Saturday, April 25, with its largest footprint yet, sending readers across 18 shops in Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia.

The third annual NoVa+ Bookstore Crawl Passport program begins on Independent Bookstore Day and runs through May 31. Fairfax County participants include Bards Alley and Big Planet Comics in Vienna, Scrawl Books in Reston and Fonts Books & Gifts in McLean.

Readers can pick up a passport at any participating shop and collect stamps as they travel among the featured businesses. Visiting four stores earns a book prize, while eight visits earn a tote bag. Anyone who reaches at least 10 participating stores by May 31 can enter a grand-prize drawing.

The crawl has grown each year since its 2024 debut, when more than a dozen bookstores participated. Completing the entire route this spring will require traveling as far north as Frederick, Maryland, as far south as Orange, Virginia, and west into Wardensville, West Virginia.

Participating locations listed for the crawl include:

  • Bards Alley, 110 Church Street NW, Vienna
  • Big Planet Comics, 426 Maple Avenue E., Vienna
  • Birch Tree Book, 11 W. Market Street, Leesburg
  • Curious Iguana, 12 N. Market Street, Frederick, Maryland
  • Fonts Books & Gifts, 6262 Old Dominion Drive, McLean
  • Friends to Lovers, 301 Cameron Street, Alexandria
  • Hundred Acre Books, 172 E. Davis Street, Culpeper
  • Middleburg Books, 17 S. Madison Street, Middleburg
  • Old Town Books, 130 S. Royal Street, Alexandria
  • One More Page Books, 2200 N. Westmoreland Street, Arlington
  • The Open Book, 104 Main Street, Warrenton
  • Scrawl Books, 11911 Freedom Drive, Reston
  • Spelled Ink LLC, 132 W. Main Street, Orange
  • Winchester Book Gallery, 7 N. Loudoun Street, Winchester
  • WordPlay, 50 W. Main Street, Wardensville, West Virginia

Independent Bookstore Day was established by the American Booksellers Association in 2013 to celebrate independent bookstores and their value to local communities. More than 1,600 stores are expected to participate in events nationwide.

Separate celebrations planned in Fairfax County include storytime and a book signing at Scrawl, giveaways and a raffle at Fonts Books, and an audiobook walk and author appearances at Bards Alley.