St. Martins, NB...A booktown to be...

I just received a most interesting email. It seems that St Martins, NB has decided to become a booktown. Mind you, they only have one open shop at the moment, but one other in opening soon with another or so in the work. Most importantly, they seem to have a genuine PLAN to assist them toward their goal. I have quoted bits of the email below (and note the very stylish logo for their "Booktown Initiative"):

St. Martins, N. B. is going to be a booktown. The Booktown Initiative is working towards that.

Booktowns (small towns having a high concentration of bookstores like factory out let towns have a high concentration of factory outlets) attract bibliophile tourists whose purpose is to visit book stores. If the town is an attractive seaside town, as St. Martins is, it attracts other tourists who may also visit bookstores, although, perhaps, with less intent.
...
The difficult task in establishing a booktown is the timing in bringing together sellers and buyers. At least some book sellers must be established so that book buyers who have heard of the Initiative are not disappointed. Buyers must come to justify the presence of the sellers.

To lead up to the critical mass necessary to fully establish the booktown, the Booktown Initiative will hold various "book" events. Our first is a BOOK FAIR
during St. Martins Old Home Week.
...
BOOK FAIR
JULY 14 – 21
Osborne Hall
St. Martins
9.30 -5.30 each day except Sunday 12.00 – 5.30

I absolutely *love* the idea...the goal...of a town striving to define itself around books. I truly hope they are successful. With a bit of luck, I'll get up there for the fair, though I do not think I will be able to actually show there.

On that note, I am not certain what I think of an EIGHT day bookfair. I am the first to admit that I *loathe* one day fairs. My booth is complex to set up and once it is up and the way I want it, I like to leave it for at least two days. Four days is the longest I've done (Baltimore). Eight days seems...er...long. That said, the price is certainly right.

The website is definitely worth a look. I am definitely going to have to get up there sometime during the week...just so I can say I was there at the birth of a booktown. More on this at news warrants.