The pop-up vendor market at Bellair Golf Park will feature local authors and bookish businesses all in one place. Here’s what you need to know before you go.<\/p>\n
GLENDALE, Ariz. \u2014 Want to kick off 2026 with all things bookish? Check out Readers of the Valley Volume 2!<\/a><\/p>\n The event, hosted by Bookish Becca Co., will be held on Sunday, Jan. 18, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Bellair Golf Park in Glendale.<\/p>\n This is the second year the founder of Bookish Becca Co., Becca Lopez, has hosted the January event. In 2026, she has eight events “on the books,” all committed to the goal of creating a fun, safe, and inclusive space for all readers.<\/p>\n “I grew up as an introvert. I was bullied, and I never felt like I was enough to be a part of the cool kids club,” Lopez told 12News. “So, I decided to break the mold and make a sandbox big enough for everyone to come and be involved.”<\/p>\n Last year was the first big Readers of the Valley event Lopez hosted.<\/p>\n “It’s just amazing to see the community grow over the last year, from last January to where we are this January,” Lopez said.<\/p>\n That first event, Lopez said, was “trial by fire.”<\/p>\n “You’re always going to have to jump in with two feet first, and that’s what happened with the first event. I jumped,” Lopez said. “This year, I am walking into the event, a little older, a little wiser. I know the hiccups and the curveballs, because I’ve been at this location before.”<\/p>\n As she preps for the event, Lopez said her goal remains the same: to center this event, and every event she does around the bookish community.<\/p>\n “My goal isn’t to be the biggest or the most renowned,” Lopez said. “My goal is to bring a safe space within the community for the most average reader to the most avid reader to come and explore and feel safe, from the introvert to the extrovert, to have a good time.”<\/p>\n The event is outdoors and is intended for readers 18 years old and older, Lopez said, and there is a list of vendors and authors in attendance on the Bookish Becca Co. Instagram page.<\/p>\n One of her favorite parts of putting together this year’s event was seeing how much not only she has grown, but how much those involved with the events, from authors to vendors, have, too.<\/p>\n “To just see the authors who I worked with and collaborated with, how far they’ve come in just a year, it’s so rewarding and enriching,” Lopez said. “And to be able to call some of these women, my friends now, mind blown. They’re so sweet. The bookish community really comes out and supports, and I’m so grateful to be a part of that.”<\/p>\n If you want to explore this bookish market, you can learn more at Bookish Becca Co.’s Instagram page<\/a> or by heading to the Bookish Becca Co. website.<\/a><\/p>\n For more book and literacy stories, check out “Reading Arizona” on YouTube and 12News.com. If you have a story pitch for Reading Arizona, email koconnor@12news.com or reach out via Instagram, @thatjournalistwhoreads<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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