All She Wrote Books hosts its second annual book fair June 28, seeing out Pride month with a free daytime event open to all ages from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and a ticketed 18-plus after party from 8 to 10 p.m.
All She Wrote Books owner Christina Pascucci-Ciampa organized the first event last June with inspiration from the Scholastic book fairs she grew up with. This is “the gayest Scholastic book fair of your dreams,” Pascucci-Ciampa said.
“Last year’s event was extremely successful,” Pascucci-Ciampa said. With 300 attendees, “we sold out of tickets for the 18-plus event at night and we had an amazing showing in the daytime as well, and a lot of positive feedback from folks who came. It made a lot of sense to bring it back.”
This year’s event follows a similar format. Hosted at Connexion in East Somerville, the daytime portion features family-friendly programming and is open to the public. Books, goodies and All She Wrote Books merchandise will be on sale, with a coloring book station for all ages and a drag storytime for children at 10:30 a.m.
Lavender Education, an adult education group focused on LGBTQ+ history, will be there, as will the ACLU of Massachusetts, the Boston Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Youth, Fenway Health and the City of Somerville LGBTQ+ Services.
New this year is a queer comics draw-off with the Boston Comic Arts Foundation featuring local cartoonists Jackie Musto, Jade LFT Peters and Betsey Swardlick, who will also be selling their books.
“There will be three cartoonists, three easels, and three markers – whose art will be the rainbowest?” Pascucci-Ciampa said.
After 8 p.m., attendees must be over 18 to enter and have a ticket, which are available for purchase online. That portion of the event features vendors such as Crafty Queer Studio, Popwink, Gold Fox Art and Kestrop Studio. Ritcey East, a restaurant in Watertown, again provides ’90s-inspired food to match the nostalgia of the Scholastic book fairs that inspired the event.
Last year’s burlesque performance will be replaced with drag performances every 15 to 30 minutes. “That gives people more time to look around but still be entertained at the same time,” Pascucci-Ciampa said.
“For so long, queer histories were about sadness, and of course there are still so many struggles, especially now, but the queer community also has so much beauty and joy. The idea is to shine a light on that and give folks the fuel to continue to do the fight,” Pascucci-Ciampa said.
The All She Wrote Pride Book Fair is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (free and all ages) and 8 to 10 p.m. ($10 and for those 18-plus) at Connexion, 149 Broadway, East Somerville.
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