Wi10’s Indie Retail Crawl Will Have Attendees Shopping Local

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Independent business owners in downtown Asheville, North Carolina, are preparing to open their doors for the American Booksellers Association’s Indie Retail Crawl that kicks off the 10th anniversary Winter Institute. The three-hour shop-’til-you-drop event will offer booksellers unique products and discounts at a range of locally owned businesses.

Asheville is a city known not only for its bustling local economy of shops, art galleries, bars, and restaurants, but also for its reputation as a literary hub, which hosts its own annual Bookfest and Wordfest events. Three of Asheville’s bookstores will be part of the self-guided Indie Retail Crawl on Sunday, February 8: Malaprop’s Bookstore and Café, Downtown Books and News (which is owned by Malaprop’s), and Battery Park Book Exchange & Champagne Bar. And for attendees who want to travel beyond the downtown area, directions will be provided to Spellbound Children’s Bookshop.

Malaprop’s owner Emoke B’Racz and general manager Linda-Marie Barrett are making plans and preparing the store for the many booksellers, publishers, and authors who are expected to stop by from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., during the crawl.

“We are making up gift bags for all booksellers who come visit us during that time, said Barrett. “Gift bags will include a number of cool sidelines that we sell at the store, plus a surprise or two.”

During their tour of 13 of Asheville’s finest indie establishments, booksellers will also have the chance to meet the husband-and-wife team behind ZaPow!, an art gallery offering “nerdy, geeky, cute, and fun art” as well as artist services and workspaces.

Owners Lauren Patton and Matt Johnson, whose website deems ZaPow! “the only illustration and popular culture art gallery in the Southeast,” have created an art exhibit in honor of the Winter Institute. “Art of the Book” will have its opening reception the day of the crawl.

“I assigned three books each to those artists who elected to participate: one children’s book, one literary classic, and one contemporary fiction title, and figured that they would find one they were really excited about,” Patton said.

A total of 52 Asheville artists will be showcasing works inspired by everything from Neil Gaiman’s Coraline to Tolstoy’s War and Peace to E.L. James’s Fifty Shades of Grey. Mediums used in creating the works range from digital to oils to pastels to acrylic, Patton said. (Some of the specially created works can be previewed at the right.)

The exhibit’s opening celebration begins at 3:00 p.m. and will feature free beer courtesy of the local Oskar Blues Brewery and music from classically trained guitarist Stephen Karla, who will perform Django Reinhardt-style gypsy swing.

ZaPow! will also be showcasing and selling “Art of the Book” prints and originals at the Omni Grove Park Inn from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on February 10 during the Wi10 Author Reception.

“We’re an illustration gallery so it’s kind of a no-brainer…When we found out [ABA’s Winter Institute was] coming into town we thought it would be the perfect thing to use as inspiration,” Patton said.

Another Asheville business along the crawl route is Hip Replacements, a funky vintage and contemporary clothing store with pieces by local artisans, hand-picked vintage clothing for men, and other uniquely fashionable items.

“We will be happy to offer our 10 percent ‘Go Local’ discount to all conference participants,” said owner Franzi Charen, the co-founder of the Asheville Grown Businesses Alliance and a panelist at the Monday Wi10 session “Creating a Local Business Alliance to Benefit Your Business and Your Community.”

Those who visit the Asheville Bee Charmer will get 10 percent off 50 different types of locally produced honey, along with bath and body products, snacks, art, and other bee products.

“We’re going to do a free honey tasting for those doing the Indie Crawl,” Bee Charmer employee Sam Johnson said. “Customers will be able to try all different local honeys as well as honeys from all over the world.”

likewise, Vegetarian enclave Laughing Seed Café will be offering 10 percent off to all conference attendees.

The staff of Patton Avenue Pet Company will also be welcoming eager explorers of Asheville’s retail landscape. “We are an independent pet supply store focusing on natural nutrition for dogs and cats, as well as a curated selection of toys, treats, and other supplies,” said Pet Company owner Jenna Yarosh.We have gifts for the pet lover as well.”

All 13 participating stores can be found on ABA’s map. Below is the full list of businesses:

On Sunday, shuttle buses to downtown Asheville leave from the Omni Grove Park Inn beginning at 2:45 p.m., running every 15 to 20 minutes. The last bus leaves downtown at 8:15 p.m., following the Welcome Reception.

In addition to the Indie Retail Crawl, there is still time to make reservations for several other local tours customized just for booksellers: the Asheville Historic Trolley Tour, a tour of the Biltmore Estate, and a tour of the Thomas Wolfe Memorial House, as well as guided or self-guided tours of the Omni Grove Park Inn.