How did Tower Porchfest bring out independent bookstore lovers?

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - Visitors to Fresno's Tower Porchfest were apt expecting section bands, vendors and a fewer societal activities, but 1 idiosyncratic bearing donuts and "passports" brought autarkic bookstores to the minds of festival goers too.

Erika Leonard was utilizing her structure to showcase Independent Bookstore Day connected Saturday, April 26, 2025.

"National Independent Bookseller Day is today," said Erika. "Unfortunately, it overlaps with Porchfest, truthful possibly radical don't cognize arsenic overmuch astir it."

Erika says she's lived successful respective tight-knit communities, but the Tower District is her favorite.

"I've lived successful Richmond, Berkeley, Santa Cruz, and the Tower District is my favourite spot ever," Leonard said. "It is due to the fact that of that assemblage consciousness that we have. It feels precise neighborly."

Leonard says portion of what makes a small, tight-knit assemblage is bookstores, particularly the small, autarkic ones that bespeak the values of the neighborhood.

"I lived successful a assemblage years agone that mislaid its past autarkic bookstore, and erstwhile it did, we realized we lone had Amazon oregon Walmart," Leonard said. "To person idiosyncratic who runs a store who is from your assemblage is simply a acquisition that radical don't recognize they person - until they've mislaid it."

Erika's thrust to support section bookstores led her to make the "Fresno Bookstore Passport." The extremity was to get assemblage members to sojourn their section bookstores, making definite some neighbors and businesses thrive.

The constituent of the bookstore passport is to sojourn each of the six section bookstores listed connected the paper and marque a acquisition determination to get a stamp connected your "passport." Completed cards with a stamp successful each of the six boxes get entered into a gully to triumph a prize.

"Get retired of your home, conscionable your neighbors, conscionable folks successful antithetic communities, and enactment your autarkic businesses - each the autarkic bookstores," Erika said. "That's wherever the healing and transportation happen."