A small town girl turned big city businesswoman returns home to help her parents, only to find her heart being tugged between her old flame and the town’s mysterious new guy. If you love Viola Shipman, Sweet Magnolias and Hart of Dixie, you do not want to miss Books Over Drinks with Joy Callaway!

New York Times bestselling author Kristin Harmel returns with an electrifying new novel about two jewel thieves, a priceless bracelet that disappears in 1940s Paris, and a quest for answers in a decades-old murder. If you love Kristin Hanna and Patti Callahan Henry, you do not want to miss this Books Over Drinks for The Stolen Life of Collette Marceau!

Storytelling is not just entertainment: it’s a fundamental part of being human. Ales & Tales is a live storytelling open mic, akin to The Moth, but without the competitive aspect. Tellers take the mic to share personal stories, true-as-remembered, in six minutes or less with no notes. There are few rules: beyond the time limit and truth requirement, stories must follow the night’s theme, which is typically a one- to two-word prompt with LOTS of flexibility (like Dirt, Winter, Sunshine or Rigid).

Stories don’t have to be funny, but they can be. Stories should have an arc – a beginning, middle, and end – and perhaps a lesson snuck in there, too. Food and drinks, including alcohol, will be available for purchase; and the crowd is always friendly. Come relate to strangers, and turn them into pals!

Theme: Misunderstanding

Little misunderstandings can lead to big changes. Maybe you misunderstood directions, and your misdirection brought you face to face with a stranger who changed your life. Maybe you misunderstood another’s intentions, and your relationship did a 180 because of it. We don’t all know everything, and sometimes, that can lead to some pretty holy-crap moments. Let’s hear about yours!

This event takes place in the 4th floor Gallery and has a cash bar.

Stop by M. Judson for a free pop up with local author E. Marie Robertson and hear about her book, Nothing Larger Than These Stars!

The “absolutely hilarious” (Real Simple) Amy Poeppel delights once again with a charming new novel about a house swap gone wonderfully awry. If you love Beth O’Leary and Curtis Sittenfeld, you don’t want to miss Books Over Drinks with Amy Poeppel for Far and Away!

Join us at M. Judson Booksellers for a free launch event celebrating local author Deb Richardson-Moore and her new book, The Last Beach Town!

It’s Bookish Game Night at M. Judson! Join us and our friends at the Greenville County Library for a night of Literary Bingo, complete with prizes. Look for this event once a month, for a regular dose of fun.

This is a free event.

Stop by M. Judson for a free pop up to meet local author Kailey Bright and grab a copy of her new book, Unfortunate!

Join us for a special Golden Hour celebrating the release of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s latest novel The Bewitching!

The Nightshade Crown is in the hands of a ruthless god and Lore will stop at nothing to defeat him in the final installment of this lush, romantic, New York Times bestselling fantasy series from breakout star Hannah Whitten. If you love Leigh Bardugo and Sarah J. Maas, you do not want to miss Books Over Drinks with Hannah Whitten. She will be in conversation with Jessica Khoury.

The Nightshade Crown is in the hands of a ruthless god and Lore will stop at nothing to defeat him in the final installment of this lush, romantic, New York Times bestselling fantasy series from breakout star Hannah Whitten. If you love Leigh Bardugo and Sarah J. Maas, you do not want to miss Books Over Drinks with Hannah Whitten. She will be in conversation with Jessica Khoury.

Join us for a free In Conversation event with midwife and poet Janelle Alier to celebrate the release of her haiku collection, The Shortest Stories!

Stop by M. Judson for a free pop up with local poet Karen Talley!

Stop by M. Judson for a free pop up with local poet Karen Talley!

Date: Sunday, July 13, 2025
Location: Croft State Park SHELTER #1
Address: 450 Croft State Park Rd, Spartanburg, SC 29302
Time: 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM (this time frame is extended to allow everyone to complete a basket. You may finish much earlier based on your skill set).
Note: Camp Croft State Park’s Shelter #1 has tire swings, an open area for exploring and restrooms within walking distance.
Cost: $50 per participant (recommended ages 8+)
Purchase your tickets here: https://carolinabamboo.org/product/tickets-basket-weaving-workshop-bamboo-kudzu-kuboo-baskets-july-13-2025/?preview=true

Get wild and “embrace the invase” in this kudzu/bamboo= “KuBoo” Basket Weaving class! Get to know split bamboo and kudzu as weaving materials. Learn how to harvest and strip a kudzu vine. Engage with refined, hand-crafted split bamboo. Weave the Kudzu and Bamboo together to create your own personalized and unique KuBoo basket!

We will provide baubles and decorations for you to choose from to make your basket unique. Many of these embellishments will be made of bamboo, including beads and buttons made from canes and rhizomes.
We will also provide all weaving materials, including split bamboo that has been “defanged”, meaning: The edges of all split bamboo materials will be processed beforehand using the traditional Japanese habatori, mentori and senbiki methods. These techniques remove the sharp edges and splinters from split bamboo. Our refined split bamboo will make weaving with bamboo more enjoyable, manageable and easier on the hands. Watch our YouTube video for a quick visual overview of these three processes here: https://youtu.be/omEk3KkTLFk

While we weave, Aaron will be available for a Q&A session about bamboo. Bamboo is a mysterious plant to many. Ask Aaron questions to learn more about bamboo while you weave.

What to bring:
A water bottle
A “Can-do” attitude!

We will provide:
Electric industrial fans
All crafting and weaving materials and tools

Camp Croft State Park’s Shelter #1 has tire swings, an open area for exploring and restrooms within walking distance.

Additional Cost: Croft State Park is over 7000 acres and offers everything from a playground to hiking and biking trails. As a state park, there is an admission fee: $3 for adults over the age of 15, $1.50 for seniors, $1 for kids ages 6-15, and free for children age 5 and under. This admission fee is NOT included in your ticket price and must be paid separately upon entry into Croft State Park. Note: You may choose to avoid this fee by requesting a SC State Parks Passport from your local library. If you choose this option, we recommend making a request for this item a few weeks in advance before the class, due to possible high demand and low availability.

A searing debut novel of envy, longing, and regret across three lives and two countries that asks how far we’ll go for a friendship, a romance, a dream. If you are a fan of Raven Leilani and Alexandra Chang, you do not want to miss Books Over Drinks with debut author Claire Jia and her book, Wanting!

A searing debut novel of envy, longing, and regret across three lives and two countries that asks how far we’ll go for a friendship, a romance, a dream. If you are a fan of Raven Leilani and Alexandra Chang, you do not want to miss Books Over Drinks with debut author Claire Jia and her book, Wanting!

Join us for a special Golden Hour celebrating Holly Jackson’s adult debut Not Quite Dead Yet!

The critically acclaimed author of The Good Ones returns with an edge-of-your-seat thriller about a powerful Southern family whose dark secrets set in motion a chain of events with deadly consequences. If you’re a fan of Laura Lippman and Liane Moriarity, you do not want to miss Books Over Drinks with Polly Stewart. She will be in conversation with fellow author Katherine Schellman.

Join us for our monthly drop in wine tasting event! We’ll have Kaitlyn Allen present with her book Walk Her Way New York City: A Walking Guide to Women’s History.