Florida Antiquarian Book Fair

The Florida Antiquarian Book Fair, the oldest and largest fair of its kind in the Southeast, returns to St. Petersburg's Historic Coliseum the second full weekend of each March. The Fair features more than one hundred specialized dealers from all over the United States. Visitors can find books of every age and about every conceivable topic, including modern fiction, Americana, Florida history and literature, travel and exploration, fine bindings, poetry, cooking, military history, world history, the classics, art books, religion, children's literature, illustrated books. Additional materials found at the Fair include maps, prints, postcards, ephemera, autographs and other paper collectibles. A complete listing of the exhibitors is available at the Florida Antiquarian Booksellers' web page: FloridaBooksellers.com. Explore our new blog, updated regularly with bits of history, previews of items dealers will be bringing to the fair, and other items of interest: FloridaBookFair.blogspot.com. Admission is $10 Friday and is good for the entire weekend. Saturday and Sunday, tickets are $6 for the day or $10 for the weekend. Children 12 and under, and students with valid identification, are free. Ticket sales benefit the St Petersburg Public Library. Discount coupons are available online at Floridabookfair.blogspot.com or on Facebook (search: “Florida Bookfair”). Friday's opening includes live classical music. Several lectures are offered with Saturday’s ticket price. Free appraisals are available to the public Sunday, from 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. Food and beverages are available onsite. St. Petersburg’s Historic Coliseum, 535 Fourth Ave. N, is known as “the finest ballroom in the South.” It opens its oak dance floor to everything from ballroom dancing to corporate functions. Opened in 1925, the building was nicknamed the “Palace of Pleasure” in the Roaring 20’s, and has played host to such famed artists as Louie Armstrong, Buddy Rich, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, and Harry James, among others.