Written by Lily Leand and Juliette Moore

This past November, in the heart of the holiday season, Rye Country Day School buzzed with excitement for the annual Holiday Boutique and Book Fair. Traditionally known for its vast array of books, this year’s fair took an unexpected turn. The book count saw a noticeable dip, making way for more boutiques that added a new touch of charm to the festive celebration. The changes, while unexpected, have sparked conversation about the reason behind the shifts, and what it means for the event in the future. 

The Holiday Boutique and Book Fair, a cherished RCDS tradition put together by the Parents Association,  includes snacks, books, and Wildcat Den merchandise. There are also many other vendors brought in with products ranging from jewelry to winter apparel! Additionally, students look forward to the opportunity to donate books to former and current teacher’s classrooms to be used in future years. Lower and Middle School students get to come to the event with their classes, while Upper School students and parents are able to attend all day long. Whether looking for a cupcake for lunch or some new stationery, the Holiday Boutique and Bookfair has it all! However, there has been a noticeable shift in the event’s marketing points, as well as some changes to the products that are being sold. 

This year, instead of the standard layout with the food in the front, the books behind it, and the boutiques in the very back, the event premiered a new look. Students noticed that the food stand was towards the back, and the books were front and center. Mrs. Brown, the leader of the Parents Association, says this was done to help create foot traffic through the area with guest vendors. According to Mrs. Brown, this created a significant increase in sales this year. Students also seemed to take a liking to the new layout. One anonymous student said that they “liked how the line didn’t go through the door anymore. It went in the back, not blocking anything.” The new layout also helped solve the problem of traffic at the entrance of the event, which had been caused by the increased demand for lunches served at the food table near the entrance door. The new layout has given a more organized feel to the event while also increasing profit for vendors and the PA alike. 

Students also realized that this year, there was a significant decrease in books. However, in their place, the  space was filled with lots of boutiques, offering an array of other products. Mrs. Brown, the creative force behind the event, acknowledged the intentional change. According to Mrs. Brown, the Parents Association has learned over the years that they make more money from other vendors. By adding the vendors, the PA placed a stronger emphasis on shopping for goods other than books by creating more variety in products.  The increase of consumerism gave more options for people who wanted to fundraise for the school while simultaneously shopping for the holidays. The change in the event was very successful as this year, the fair had a 25-30% increase in profit, fundraising around thirty to forty thousand dollars for the school. The vendors also had positive feedback, stating that they were satisfied with their sales. 

Overall the Holiday Boutique and Bookfair was able to have a successful week in sales, but it is clear that the book selection is decreasing each year. The fair proved that there can be more aspects to a book fair other than books, but does this mean the forever abandonment of the beloved term “book” in the Holiday Boutique and Book fair?