The Iowa Indie Bookshop Tour is officially beginning this week, and Carroll’s only independent bookstore will be part of the line-up again.
From July 1 to Sept. 30, readers are encouraged to travel all over Iowa to visit different independent book stores. While stopping at a participating bookstore, visitors can not only shop for new books, but also fill out their passports.
By the end of the tour, participants can turn in their passport at a participating bookshop online to be eligible for prize drawings.
McKenzie Crawford, the co-owner of Books and Bakery, said she first learned about the Iowa Indie Bookshop Tour through other independent bookstore owners and the Iowa indie bookselling community.
“Something not everyone knows is the bookseller community is very close and we stay super connected through social media,” Crawford said. “Everyone is so supportive of one another, so we saw the tour form from the beginning when it was just a concept.”
CoriAnn Theroux, the owner of The Green Dragon Bookshop in Fort Dodge, launched the Iowa Indie Bookshop Tour in 2024, which was the same year Books and Bakery became a regular spot for the tour.
Since she’s gotten to know Theroux, Crawford has described her as someone who has “always been phenomenal to work with and is truly an amazing advocate.”
“We love introducing new people to our store and to downtown Carroll, and the tour was a wonderful opportunity to do both,” Crawford said.
Since getting involved with the tour, Crawford said it has been “incredibly positive” for the business. During the tour, Crawford said the staff will meet visitors from Iowa who may never have discovered the bookstore otherwise.
Often, Crawford said they meet with customers who drive over four hours to visit Books and Bakery and get their stamp.
“It’s always fun hearing where people have traveled from, and many end up spending time exploring our downtown after visiting us,” Crawford said “We’ve also had customers return later because they first found us through the tour, which has been especially rewarding.”
In 2025, Crawford said more than half of their sales for the year came from the tour, which she described as “incredible, but also very intimidating.
“It’s one thing to know it’s popular, but another to see just how popular,” Crawford said.
As another component of the Iowa Indie Bookshop Tour, many business owners are sharing a local guide for their respective cities on social media, sharing recommendations for restaurants, coffee shops and other businesses.
Learning how frequently visitors will book a hotel or AirBnb for their visits, Crawford felt it was important to share a local guide for Carroll as well.
“Carroll has so many wonderful locally owned shops, restaurants, coffee spots and attractions, and we wanted to help people make a full day of their visit,” Crawford said. “Supporting one small business often leads to supporting several others, and that’s what makes communities like ours thrive.”
One of Crawford’s favorite parts of the tour is seeing people become genuinely excited to explore Iowa through all of the independent bookstores.
“It creates connections between readers, booksellers and communities that last well beyond one weekend,” Crawford said. “We’re grateful to be part of such a supportive network of independent bookstores and can’t wait to welcome both new and returning visitors each year.”
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