20TH ANNUAL BOOKS CAFÉ WILL RUN  

FOR FIVE WEEKENDS IN QUEENSTOWN

With a new extended format, the 2023 Wye Parish Books Café opens on Friday January 20 and Saturday January 21, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., for its twentieth year at St. Luke’s Chapel, Queenstown.  The popular sale of heavily discounted books and delicious homemade food items will then re-open for the next four Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., concluding on February 17 and 18.

As in the past, many thousands of carefully sorted books will be offered at  90% off cover or market price.  With the new schedule format, however, not only will the shopping opportunities be spread out over a longer period of time, but more re-stocking of books will be done in the intervals between the sale days.

According to Books Café’s organizers, the decision to extend this year’s sale and increase re-stocking was prompted by an unprecedented build-up of inventory at the Books Café Depository.  “The generous donations that make Books Café possible have recently been growing faster than ever before,” said sale committee member Mike Bilek of Wye Mills.

Bilek continued: “We have in storage many more books sorted and ready to put out than we can possibly display at one time in the St. Luke’s Parish Hall space.  So in between the weekly sale days we’ll be bringing in loads of books from the Depository, as well as taking out books that aren’t finding new homes and sending them on to our redistribution partner, Discover Books of Baltimore.”

Books Café volunteer Jim Campbell of Centreville noted that access to the sale may also be available at unscheduled times during the five-week run:  “When we are in the building doing re-stocking, and if the OPEN flag is flying outside, come on in for browsing and buying!”

The largest sections at Books Café are the alphabetized displays of Fiction,  current and classic, hardcover and paperback, plus special sections for Mysteries, Historical Fiction, and a larger-than-usual offering of Fantasy & Science Fiction.

Running a close second in popularity to the Books Café Fiction sections is the History section, covering all periods, with expanded offerings in American History and a special section on American Presidents and Their Families.  As always, the History section includes an exceptionally wide range of titles in Military History, ranging from detailed accounts of notable air, land and sea battles to biographies of war leaders and comprehensive treatments of major wars.

For younger readers, there is a large and varied collection in and adjacent to the “Young People’s Room” — everything from board books and picture books to easy readers, Newbery winners, popular series, classic stories, nature/science, and teen and YA.  The books in the Young People’s Room are sorted into age-appropriate categories and can be conveniently browsed on the spot by the readers for whom they are intended.  On higher shelves there are teachers’ materials that may be  useful for home-schooling.

Other Books Café special sections, spaced out around the Hall and in adjoining rooms, include Animals, Art/Music/Film, Biography, CDs/DVDs, Cooking, Home & Garden, Humor, Local & Regional, Nature & Environment, Old & Rare, Outdoors, Philosophy & Politics, Poetry, Religion, Sports, Travel, True Crime, and more.

From the kitchen counter, the Café section of Books Café will once again provide hot drinks and snacks to sustain browsers, plus take-out and baked goods for home consumption, all at bargain prices.

Sale proceeds support local community outreach organized by the Parish’s Episcopal Church Women.  Books Café accepts cash, checks, and the occasional IOU; no credit card sales.  Sales to approved dealers are by advance authorization only; any use of barcode scanners inside the premises is strictly prohibited.

For further information on Books Café, call the Wye Parish Office at 410-827-8484.


SATURDAY CHRISTMAS MARKETS RETURN TO ST. LUKE’S CHAPEL

IN QUEENSTOWN

 

            Each of the four Saturdays in November of 2021 will see a return of last year’s popular new event, the Christmas Market at St. Luke’s Chapel in Queenstown.  The Market will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will feature Christmas decorations, baked goods, gift books, jewelry, and a variety of other items for holiday giving or enjoying.

When in 2020, for the first time in 57 years, Covid forced cancellation of the Christmas Bazaar at Old Wye Church, the Bazaar tradition was kept alive with an outdoor Christmas market at St. Luke’s.  This year, with the Bazaar still on hold, the Wye Parish team has decided to repeat the Market.

With Covid on the run, the 2021 Christmas Market can have a much larger indoor component, but there will again be the cheerful outdoor firepit around which, weather permitting, MJ’s hot mulled cider can be warmly enjoyed.

Indoors,  besides the Christmas-specific items, much of the huge Books Café inventory will be accessible to Market-goers at the usual 90% off cover price.  During Covid, the books never stopped coming, and the Children’s Room, largely shuttered for almost two years, is now overflowing with perhaps its best selection ever.  The same is true for the Local & Regional collection, where scarce Eastern Shore items can be found at a small fraction of their market values.

The four Saturday dates for the St. Luke’s Christmas Marker are November 6, 13, 20, and 27, 2021.  Call 410-827-8484 for further information and updates.

 


Upcoming Books Café Events for 2021

During the pandemic, the 19-years-running Books Café was open only on a limited basis, at a Christmas Market in November, a Farm Sale in June and by appointment.  Now, with COVID on the wane, the Books Café team, which never stopped receiving and processing book donations, is considering a few more one-shot public openings before the annual multi-day Books Café to resume in February/March 2022.   Watch this site for notices of upcoming activities as dates are scheduled.

For more information (or to schedule an appointment for a private opening), call the Parish Office 410.827.8484.


BOOKS CAFÉ REOPENS FOR SPECIAL SUMMERTIME SALE
SATURDAY, JUNE 12, 2021, 10 AM-2PM
Closed down by the pandemic in March of 2020, the Wye Parish Books Café reopens to the public for a festive four hours on Saturday, June 12. This special summertime sale will be at the regular location, St. Luke’s Chapel, 7208 Main St., Queenstown, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
On offer, besides the huge assortment of books at 90% off, will be homemade cakes, cookies, and pies; pottery and quilts from local artisans; and local farm products. Featured will be a selection lavender-related creations from the Calico Fields Farm & Shop near Millington.
In the books department, the Children’s Room is full of attractive reading for all ages, and the former lunchroom (there will be no food service) has become the “Book Nook” with Mysteries, Nature, Science, True Crime, “Potpourri” ( a miscellany for browsing), and an
exceptional range of books of Local and Regional interest. The big History collection, including Military History, has grown even bigger, and an enlarged Nautical collection will also be available – plus, as always, lots of good fiction, hardcover and paperback, and much more.
During the pandemic, the 19-years-running Books Café was open only on a limited basis, at a Christmas Market in November and by appointment. Now, with COVID on the wane, the Books Café team, which never stopped receiving and processing book donations, is
considering a few more one-shot public openings before the annual multi-day Books Café to resume in February/March 2022.
For more information (or to schedule an appointment for a private opening), call the Parish Office 410.827.8484.Wye Parish accepts donation of books year round.  Please call the church office at 410-827-8484 to let us know you plan to bring books.  We receive books at The Old Wye Church Parish Hall in Wye Mills on Mondays through Thursdays from 9 am to 2 pm.  If this time is not convenient, please call the church office to discuss other options.


Shop the Books Café by Appointment – Winter 2021

The staff of Books Café at St. Luke’s Chapel in Queenstown is offering people the opportunity to make an appointment to shop. Shoppers can purchase gently used books at 90% off the cover price. No food or beverage will be sold at this time.

Shoppers are limited to one person or group or family per hour, maximum 6 people. Masks are required, and latex gloves are recommended. A staff person will be on site to assist customers with questions and purchases. Customers are advised that CHECKS are preferred, and no credit cards will be accepted.

To schedule your appointment, please email your contact information as well as the date and time that you would like to shop to the Parish office at Wye Parish at [email protected]. Please include a first choice and a second choice. Time is scheduled on the hour. You may also phone Mike Bilek at 410-827-0378, between the hours of 3 and 5 pm, Monday through Friday to schedule your appointment.

The selections have been restocked. Come check out the new books!

See you at the Book Sale!


Outdoors Christmas Market All Four Saturdays in November 2020

Each of the four Saturdays in November, weather permitting, will see a new Parish event, a Christmas Market, in front of St. Luke’s Chapel, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.  The Market will feature an exceptional collection of traditional Christmas decorations, plus baked goods, gift books, and other items suitable for holiday giving or enjoying.

As a significant extra, persons wishing to browse and buy from the huge Books Café inventory inside the Hall will be admitted during Market hours, no more than six at a time, wearing masks, maintaining social distance, and the Hall windows and doors will be open for lots of fresh (and no doubt cold) air.

See our homepage for more information on the Christmas Market.