Rain Taxi’s Twin Cities Literary Calendar is once again publishing its pocket-sized Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport—and offering readers fun ways to visit the stores and win discounts and prizes. Our annual Bookstore Passport celebrates both Independent Bookstore Day (this year taking place on April 26, 2025) and our metropolitan area’s bounty of great community-based bookstores!
Illustrated by local artist Kevin Cannon, the Passport is FREE to pick up at any participating store between Wednesday, April 23, 2025 and Sunday, April 27, 2025. During these five days, travel to as many participating Twin Cities area bookstores as you can, because you can get your Passport stamped at each store you visit during that time span for a future discount at that store and a chance to win great prizes!
We encourage you to share your bookstore journey on social media and to tag us (@raintaxireview) on Instagram, Facebook, or X.
Thanks and best wishes on your travels with the Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Passport!
How It Works
While this Passport can serve as a year-round guide, from Wednesday, April 23 to Sunday, April 27, Rain Taxi and the stores invite you to get your pages stamped! Each stamped page becomes a future discount coupon, and collecting ten or more can earn you even more perks:
Get your Passport stamped at 10 or more bookstores by Sunday, April 27, and ask the 10th one to stamp the special page in the back of your Passport to activate all 37 coupons — you’ll have savings for months to come!
Get your Passport stamped at 20 or more bookstores by Sunday, April 27, and ask the 20th one to stamp the special page in the back of your Passport. Then follow the instructions there to enter the Prize Pack drawings!
If you visit 30 or more participating stores by Sunday, April 27, ask the 30th one to stamp the special page in the back of your Passport. Then follow the instructions there to enter the Grand Prize drawings!
Participating Stores
There are 37 great bookstores participating in the Passport this year. Visit each link for their open hours, and for an interactive Google map, see below!
Against the Current
Babycake’s Book Stack
Big Hill Books
Birchbark Books
Black Garnet Books
Black Letter Books
Boneshaker Books
Book House in Dinkytown
Chapter One
Chapter2 Books
Comma, a bookshop
Cream & Amber
DreamHaven Books & Comics
Eat My Words
Excelsior Bay Books
Inkwell Booksellers Co.
Lake Country Booksellers
Magers & Quinn Booksellers
Mayday Books
Midway Book
Milkweed Books
Moon Palace Books
Next Chapter Booksellers
Niche Books
Once Upon A Crime
Paperback Exchange
Red Balloon Bookshop
Story Line Books
Strive Bookstore
Subtext Books
The Thinking Spot
Tropes & Trifles
Uncle Hugo’s/Uncle Edgar’s
University of Minnesota Bookstores
Valley Bookseller
The Vintage Storyteller
Wild Rumpus Books
Prizes
Readers who obtain at least 20 stamps can enter to win a Prize Pack full of treasures from our sponsors! Prize Pack details TBA.
Three lucky Grand Prize winners will receive $25 gift cards to twelve of the participating bookstores — a $300 value!
How to Enter
If you have obtained 20+ stamps, email a picture of the challenge stamps page near the back of your Passport to calendar [at] raintaxi [dot] com, including in the email your name and city/state of residence, by end of day on Monday, April 28, or tear it out and mail on Monday, April 28, to Rain Taxi, PO Box 3840, Mpls MN 55403 with your email address and name included. Winners will be notified by email on Friday, May 2.
Sponsors
Please join us in thanking these amazing sponsors for championing independent bookstores in the Twin Cities and beyond!
