Open-air bargain book fair on Avenida de Mayo runs through Sunday.

An avenue full of books at clearance prices

A stretch of Avenida de Mayo, the one running from Salta to San José, launched the Feria de Oportunidad a Cielo Abierto this weekend, with 80 bookshops and publishers that set up stands of clearance, out-of-catalog and also new books. On Saturday, October 31, sunshine and a steady crowd set the tone of the day, according to Clarín. Entry is free, and the fair continues on Sunday, November 1 until 7 pm.

It is organized by the Fundación El Libro and the City's economic development department. The idea is to open a sales channel for copies that no longer circulate and for catalog surplus, and at the same time to reach readers of other generations.

What the booksellers said

Martín Duarte, a bookseller at Colihue, told Clarín that more people came than they expected and that they sold even before opening time. According to him, children's titles and history books moved the most, along with a collection of classics that always sells.

At the El Aleph stand, Miguel Saldaño said the best seller was Cita a ciegas: books wrapped in brown paper, with a sign that hints at the plot, for 10 thousand pesos. He added that sales have dropped a lot in recent years and that fairs like this help. The stand also added two chess tables, where a grandmother played with her granddaughter.

At Limonero, Viviana Cauteruccio explained that they work with schools and that it was the first time a fair like this had been held on Avenida de Mayo. At VR Editoras, Analía García noted that 2027 planners were selling strongly, along with novels and short stories.

Readers in the street and neighborhood shops

The crowd included city residents and people from other districts. Marcela Schroeder, who came from San Martín after hearing about it on Instagram, took home El secreto de la librera de París from the Cúspide stand. Stefani Trujillo, a young woman from Venezuela who settled in Buenos Aires four years ago, valued that the fair is on an open street and not in a closed venue.

Felipe Zimmermann, from El Ateneo, spoke of heavy foot traffic, with foreigners and families strolling. Publishers present include Malva, La Crujía, El Gato de Hojalata, Kier, Granica, Cactus, Caja Negra and Planeta. Shops in the area, such as El Globo, Óptica Conecta and La Tasca de Fosforito, offer discounts and promotions during the fair.

Talks and music in front of Palacio Barolo

The stage is on the avenue, in front of Palacio Barolo. On Saturday there was a talk moderated by Nicolás Artusi about touring bookshops, another about the literature of the uncomfortable and another devoted to rock idols. The music of Bourbon Sweethearts was planned to close the day.

On Sunday at 1 pm, Germán Álvarez and Laura Rosato open with a look at the trace of Borges in his books. Diego Golombek and Lala Franco follow at 2 pm with the question of whether we are our brain. At 3 pm, Gustavo Malajovich and Mayra Andrade discuss how book publishing and audiovisual work intersect. Gloria Casañás and Damián Glanz speak at 4 pm about why the romance novel remains relevant, and at 5 pm Florencia Etcheves and Mercedes Funes present their talk. The 6 pm closing is musical, with Los Clappers.

Useful facts

The fair takes over the stretch of Avenida de Mayo that runs from Salta to San José, and the stage sits in front of Palacio Barolo. It continues on Sunday, November 1 until 7 pm, with talks from 1 pm, and entry is free.

According to the El Aleph booksellers, a book from the Cita a ciegas offer costs 10 thousand pesos. If you go, keep in mind that several shops in the area offer discounts during the fair, so it is worth asking at each one.