River Bend Book Truck
The River Bend Book Truck is a fully mobile bookstore! We stock books for children and adults, and just like the shop, we add new stock and rotate displays weekly. Our experienced booksellers staff the Book Truck and are on hand for recommendations for your next favorite read.
Our Book Truck season runs mid-April to mid-November, with our big kick off at Independent Bookstore Day on the last Saturday in April. You can find us regularly at Farmer's Markets in Glastonbury, Wethersfield, Colchester and Manchester, as well as festivals all over Hartford County.
If you are interested in inviting the Book Truck to your event, click below and tell us more. We are available for corporate and private events, and are happy to curate our onboard selection to match the theme or needs of your event. Our calendar books up quickly, so please inquire early.
We love working with schools! Think of us if you are planning a Science Fair, Multicultural Festival, Literacy Night, Back-to-School Picnic, Holiday Bazaar or Author Visit! The Book Truck will make a fun addition to your event, and is a great fundraiser for PTO/PTA Groups and Libraries.
Rental Rates for Private Events:
$500 for a two-hour event (including 30 minutes set up). Includes $250 in books! The book allowance can be used by the host, or issued in gift cards in any quantity/denomination. $150 for each additional hour. All events are staffed by experienced booksellers who are happy to help your guests find their next favorite read.
FAQs for Private Events:
How far will the Book Truck travel for an event?
Most of our events take place within a 20-minute drive of the Bookshop. Additional charges may apply if travel exceeds this amount. We have held successful events from Simsbury to Willimantic, and East Granby to Colchester.
What do you need to set up the Book Truck?
All we need is a flat place to park, and access to a standard electrical outlet. We can run off a small gas generator if necessary. Please consider any height limits on the route to your event, including entry gates and tree branches. The Book Truck requires 10 feet of vertical clearance.
How long does it take to set up?
For small events we can set up in 15 minutes. Larger events may call for display tables to be set up outside of the Book Truck so patrons can browse while they wait for a turn inside the Truck; this can take 30-40 minutes for set up and tear down.
What type of events can you do?
Birthday parties, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, Graduation parties: give your guests a gift card to the Book Truck instead of a treat bag, and let them pick out their own book, game, or toy. We will stock up on selections for the specific age group, in addition to our general all-ages offerings.
Weddings and Bridal or Baby Showers: skip the trinkets and give each guest a copy of a book that is dear to the happy couple. Start a book registry at the Bookshop and allow guests to help fill your home library.
Let us know if you have a special event in mind - we're happy to get creative with you!
What do you bring on the Book Truck?
The Book Truck is a rolling version of our book store, and gets restocked weekly with new releases, seasonal titles, and a wide variety of gifts for readers of all ages. We will heavily stock titles appropriate for your event, in addition to the general selection. For example, we bring tons of great Beach Reads to our Pool Club visits, and birthday parties for 11-year-olds may feature graphic novels and fantasy adventure titles. If there are specific titles or genres you want to highlight we are happy to work with you on book lists. For events that include Book Club members, let us know in advance and we'll bring plenty of copies of your upcoming selections.
Is the Book Truck wheelchair accessible?
Unfortunately we do not have wheelchair access to the inside of our mobile bookstore, but we DO have portable outdoor shelving that allows us to offer us a setup outside of the truck. We also have mobile registers so we can check out customers outside on the ground level.
