The Chronicle Lifeline Bookfest 2024| Photos, Video
With an estimated 250,000 titles for sale, thousands of booklovers descended on the Toowoomba Showgrounds to grab a bargain while helping support Lifeline’s local services. PHOTOS, VIDEO.
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Browsing through the quarter of a million books on sale at the 2024 Chronicle Lifeline Bookfest are librarians Mal and Narelle Brand, keen to add to the 4000-book collection at the Palm Lake Retirement Village.
“I read them all first before I donate them,” Mrs Brand says as she stands in a long queue to pay for the books neatly placed in her foldable shopping cart.
This year will be the 44th year of the much-loved, ritualistic book hunters bargain fest as thousands of people descend on the Toowoomba Showgrounds and browse through the enormous number of books, puzzles, DVDs, and even videos games placed and organised in Styrofoam boxes.
While the organisers don’t count the exact amount of people that pass through the doors, Lifeline Darling Downs chief executive Rachelle Patterson estimates it to be “tens of thousands of book lovers”.
“I am not sure that our community realises that every cent raised at Bookfest stays within this region,” she says.
“The books that you see at Bookfest are through generous donations from this community and the sales ensure that we can keep delivering over 30 counselling and support programs in Toowoomba, the Darling Downs and across South West Queensland.”
Last year Bookfest raised $70,000 for the organisation.
“This year we are going to reach for the skies and try to achieve $80,000.”
Bookfest is on between 8am - 5pm Saturday, March 2, and 8am - 5pm Sunday, March 3, at the Toowoomba Showgrounds.
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