Get Lit: Santa’s Book Fair
Get into the holiday spirit, mix and mingle with fellow bookworms, and finish your holiday shopping at Get Lit: Santa’s Book Fair! Join the American Writers Museum and local, independent Chicago book stores for this special holiday event. Enjoy beer, wine, and the night’s specialty cocktail, The Snowflake, a sweet, sour, and frosty winter cocktail. Plus, be on the lookout for the big man in red for photos and holiday stories!
Burst Into Books is a Chicago-based nonprofit organization dedicated to building strong families through literacy, cultural arts, and community engagement. Founded by educator and author Jurema Gorham, the organization provides year-round programs that promote reading, creativity, and connection — including early literacy initiatives, youth writing and art workshops, parent engagement sessions, and the annual Words of Wonder Literary Festival. Through storytelling, education, and collaboration, Burst Into Books empowers children and families to read, imagine, and grow together.
Chicago Books to Women in Prison is an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) organization that sends free books to women and trans people in prison nationwide. CBWP was founded in 2002 by a group of book enthusiasts and archivists, in an effort to fight back against the cruelties of the penal system while creating a sense of solidarity between people outside and inside.
Founded in 1979, The League of Chicago Theatres is an organization that is governed by our membership and is proud to serve over 200 theaters. Our membership encompasses a diverse list of companies, including not-for-profit and commercial operations, suburban and city-based, all-volunteer storefront operations, and large regional theatres. This diverse and supportive ecosystem is a strength of our community and encourages us as a service organization to offer a wide variety of programming to meet the varied needs of our member theatres. Our mission is to support, promote and advocate for Chicagoland’s theatre industry. Through our work, we ensure that theatre continues to thrive in our city. Hot Tix is a discounted ticketing program that helps member theatres sell unsold ticket inventory for performances today, this week, as well as future dates that you choose to make available. Hot Tix tickets are sold online at HotTix.org and in person by appointment. Hot Tix offers a unique blend of benefits for both member theatres and the general public.
Lilliput Books is a cozy, community-focused, independent bookstore located in Lincoln Park, offering a curated selection of books for all ages and many interests. We have a passion for great books, including both fiction and non-fiction. We also offer Chicago history & architecture books, a banned book table, book-related gifts, blind date with a book, classic literature, modern fiction, and the latest award-winners. Our knowledgeable staff is always available to help you find your next great book and we host a variety of events and book clubs throughout the year. Come visit us, say “hi” to Lily (the shop dog) and discover your next favorite book!
NEW BOOK JOY is a Chicago Booktique (yup, a bookstore, boutique and more!) with a thoughtfully curated collection of books, reading pairings, themed gift boxes / bundles, book clubs and bookish events for all ages! We’re proud to be a women-owned *multi-generational* small business, run by a group of current and former Chicagoland teachers who are enthusiastic about sharing a common JOY of reading and “building great conversations, one book at a time.” Recently opening our storefront in 2023, we know we’re the new kids on the block of AMAZING Midwest bookshops, but our unique, one-of-a-kind location (with a retro upstairs Vinyl + Vibes Reading Parlor) and immersive bookish experiences make the trip to this destination worth it…
Shady Rest Vintage & Vinyl is a proud minority- and women-owned business in the heart of Pilsen’s 18th Street retail corridor. We sell a curated mix of used records, vintage books and comics, cameras, and audio components. Shady Rest is a hub for djs, collectors, photography hobbyists, and hi-fi enthusiasts, but we aim to serve everyone who walks through our doors. Our inventory is procured second-hand, individually and with care – so customers relish in the discovery of finding something truly singular and special.
Skunk Cabbage Books is an independent bookstore and community workshop space in Chicago’s Avondale neighborhood. We offer new books and local artist goods that remind us of human’s own place in our ecosystems. We bring people together to talk about and engage with the world around us through regular book clubs and community-led workshops.
StoryStudio Chicago is a nonprofit literary arts organization focused on building a writing community. We offer more than 200 online and in-person creative writing classes and events each year, which include everything from single-session classes focused on one aspect of craft to multi-session weekly classes to full year-long programs. We nurture writers of all ages and all skill levels and our programming covers all genres, from short stories and novels, to creative nonfiction like memoirs and essays, to poetry, screenwriting, satire, and just about anything you can imagine.
This is 21+ event. Attendees must show a valid photo ID at the door to enter.
Get Lit is your way to enjoy evenings in the Loop. Meet friends and fellow book nerds for an early evening treat. Each month, the AWM serves drinks, games, special experiences, and fun activities to get you lit! Funds raised at this event go towards the AWM’s Write In Youth Education Program, which serves middle and high school students from under-resourced schools. See our other upcoming GET LIT events here.