A Block Party to Remember: Thousands Celebrate Books and Community with Book Harvest

When the gates opened at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park on July 19, the concourse came alive with thousands of families, partners, and volunteers all coming together to celebrate books, belonging, and the joy of summer.

Book Harvest’s 5th Annual Summer Block Party welcomed more than 3,000 attendees!

The day featured:

• 10,717 brand new children's books harvested by children and families to take home and keep forever

• 97 amazing volunteers who powered every station with joy and care

• 40 community partners who filled the concourse with hands-on fun, entertainment, and resources -- including delicious cookies provided by Wegman's Chapel Hill!

• Appearances from the beloved Wool E. Bull, Poetry Fox, Happy Dan the Magic Man, and Kathi’s Klowns (with fairy hair galore!)

We were joined by community favorites like Rootle PBS KIDS, Museum of Life and Science, Bull City Woodshop, SEEDS, and so many more—each offering ways for families to connect, explore, and celebrate. Plus, custom posters were printed on the spot by Super G Print Lab!

After the event, one guest shared:

“I brought a student who months ago claimed he didn’t like to read and didn’t like libraries. He was excited to attend the community day and select several books. He started reading one on the drive home.”

Later that evening, one of our team members went out for food nearby and spotted kids already flipping through their new books, fully absorbed in their stories before even getting home. And it wasn’t just the kids who were thrilled—parents left beaming, with armfuls of books and stories to bring home. One dad proudly showed off his family's stack, calling it their “book harvest.”

The event was also a proud celebration of National Summer Learning Week, an initiative of the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) that elevates the importance of keeping kids learning, growing, and thriving all summer long. We couldn’t imagine a better way to mark the week than with sunshine, stories, and community joy!

Thank you to every volunteer, every partner, and every family who made this day unforgettable. Durham truly is the City of Books! We can’t wait to do it again next summer!

Thank you!

Big thank you to our Book Harvest Durham sponsors who make this event possible, including Hendrick Subaru Southpoint, Enterprise Mobility, Mebane Foundation, Two Men and a Truck, Written Word Media, City of Durham, Pinnacle Duke Street, Golden Belt, Wyrick Robbins, Target, Triangle Media Partners (formerly Durham/Chapel Hill Magazine), the Leininger-Hugh Crew, A Better Image Printing, Gateway Building, Urban Durham Realty -- Mary Rae Hunter, Kitty Bell, Molina Healthcare, and Fidelity Investments.