Loyalsock Township, Pa. — Local bookworms won’t need to wait much longer — the Books-A-Million (BAM) bookstore at the TJ Maxx Plaza will be opening within the week.
Officials say the store, located former Party City space on East Third Street in Loyalsock, will have a soft opening on May 21.
A bigger grand opening celebration is planned for June 5 to 7. Festivities include a ribbon cutting on June 5, a story time, a local author book signing, and giveaways.
BAM had previously been at the former Lycoming Mall until they closed their doors in August 2023. The mall had been sold in June that year to developers Famvest, LLC, who have plans to redevelop the property to include national retailers and restaurants.
Coming back to the Williamsport area made sense for the company which operates more than 240 stores.
“The community was very supportive of the old location. We, Books-A-Million, began exploring options for our return almost immediately after closing the old location. With the sad closing of Party City, it provided us with an opportunity to return to this community,” said Clarence Antill, district manager for the Williamsport BAM store.
The BAM space is more than 12,000 square feet. Antill says it will be a brand-new experience for customers, with new fixtures and a totally new floor plan. There will be an expanded Faith Point shop, a large kids department, and a focus on #BookTok with a strong presence on Dark Romance and Fantasy (including authors such as Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yaros). The store will have a total of 21 people hired, according to Antill.
Grand opening festivities include:
- A ribbon cutting at 11 a.m. June 5
- Local author signings include Adam Walenta at noon June 6. Walenta will be signing copies of his graphic novel “Punk Taco.”
- Story time meet-and-greet with Princess Belle, coupled with face painting and a balloon artist
- Giveaways including an opportunity to win a $500 gift card or one of five $100 gift cards
For many, including staff at the former BAM location, the new store opening has been a long time coming.
“We are beyond excited to return to this beautiful community! All of our staff are from here, including the general manager who worked at the old location and has been able to return home to be close to her family and friends. Cannot wait to see everyone!” Antill said.
Also in the TJ Maxx Plaza, a Boot Barn is slated to open sometime this summer. The Boot Barn will be located at the space of the former JoAnn. No word yet as to when Boot Barn will open, although the company is currently hiring.
