The fair is one of the largest in the country 

The Dayton Book Fair, one of Ohio’s largest and longest-running used book sales, is back this weekend at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds, bringing tens of thousands of titles and a charitable mission to readers across the Miami Valley. Now in its 55th year, the event continues this weekend on Saturday, November 8 and Sunday, November 9, 2025.

Organized by the Book Fair Foundation, the sale collects donations of used books, CDs, vinyl records, puzzles and games throughout the year before sorting them into categories such as history, biographies, cookbooks, graphic novels, and more. While there will be plenty of books to shop from, the annual fair isn’t just a simple book sale.

Each year, proceeds support local nonprofit organizations. The 2025 beneficiaries are Family Promise of Greene County, Gem City Roller Derby and the Ohio Performing Arts Institute. 

Admission is free on Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and the event closes Sunday with a “bag sale,” when shoppers can fill a paper grocery bag for $10. 

Fair organizers say the event typically attracts thousands of visitors from across the region and beyond, making it one of Dayton’s signature fall traditions. Volunteers help manage everything from sorting donations to restocking tables during the sale.

“Our book fair is a bump for Dayton’s economy — we’re a national draw,” Vonalt said. “We get people as far away as Texas, California and Ontario, Canada,” Larkin Vonalt, executive director of Dayton Book Fair, told the Dayton Daily News. “We’re also one of the biggest book sales in the country. We get in about 85 tons of donations each year.” 

645 Infirmary Rd, Dayton. Parking at the fairgrounds is free. For more information, visit the fair’s website.