It’s a Book Lover’s Dream Market. We’ve assembled all your favourite indie booksellers—Cookbook Co. Cooks, Owl’s Nest Books, Shelf Life Books, and Slow Burn Books—who have curated selections of their fave books from 2025 to solve all your holiday gift needs. Award-winning Alberta indie publisher Hingston & Olsen will also be on site, with the limited edition Kevin Wilson’s 12 Days of Short Stories and collectable editions of The Permanent Record Series.

Because it’s the first day of December, you can expect some sweet deals to amp up your Christmas shopping. Our friends at the Calgary Public Library Foundation will also be there with special gifts ideas for all ages that go toward supporting Calgary’s exceptional library system. And our friends at Peaseblossoms will also host a pop-up flower shop, complete with wintergreen bouquets, wreaths, porcelain ornaments, book bags, vintage inspired cards, and more! Did we mention the Man in Red himself, Santa, is coming to share stories and take photos with kids of all ages?

It will also be your first chance to scoop up a Wordfest 2026 season pass or Imaginairium festival pass—as well as one of the limited number of All-Access passes that give you, well, everything, including reserved seating, book-with-ticket events, and food and spirited drink experiences, in addition to personalized concierge service. We’ll also have limited-edition totes and bespoke enamel pins, with proceeds going toward Wordfest’s vital Youth Progam, supporting teen literacy.

There will be a Barrow Coffee Roasters Hot Chocolate Bar—and a festive soundtrack. Come celebrate this vibrant, book-loving community we have created together. This event is FREE, but please RSVP so we’ll know how many marshmallows to stock.