Responding to the public’s desire for more time to browse and buy books at 90% off their cover prices, the Eighth Annual Books Café is expanding its hours. With more than 10,000 books, sorted and arranged by topic and author, the Books Café will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, March 5, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 6, and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 7.  The venue for this Eastern Shore event is St. Luke’s Chapel at Main and Dudley Sts. in Queenstown.

Join those who save the first weekend in March for their yearly book shopping.  Paying only one-tenth of the cover price, they stock up on books for rainy days and vacations, to share with friends, or to read or give to children and grandchildren.  Puzzles, games, books on tape, and videos are also available.

While this is a three-day event for book shoppers, it is a year-long activity for Wye Parish. The parishioners who have been working at gathering and sorting books throughout this past year report that they have more books than ever, and that there are wide and wonderful selections of children’s books, military history, cook books, popular and classic fiction, gardening, and biography, not to mention books about the Eastern Shore, sailing, nature, religion, and crafts.

Some book shoppers find themselves making a day of their visit to the Books Café, lingering to enjoy coffee and a snack or hot meal, and to meet and hear a local author.

Eastern Shore native Don Parks will sign his books, Chesapeake Winds and Tides and Chesapeake Splendor on Saturday, March 6 from 10 until noon.  Mr. Parks has lived by the banks of the Chesapeake all his life.  Chesapeake Winds and Trails chronicles his nautical journeys along the rivers and among the islands and communities of the mid-Bay.  The book explores, through interviews, the culture of the people who live along the Bay’s tributaries.  The sequel, Chesapeake Splendor, explores in a similar way the northern reaches of the Bay from Kent Island to the Susquehanna River.  (Mr. Parks’ books are not offered at the 90% discount.)

In addition to Brunswick Stew, Wye Parish’s famous vegetarian chili, hot dogs and chili dogs will be offered to those who want to take time out from their book browsing to sit a while with friends or dive into that great book they just found.  Also available will be sweets and an array of beverages.

The proceeds from the Books Café benefit Wye Parish’s outreach programs.  For more information, call the Parish Office at 410.827.8484.