Secret Garden Books to celebrate 40 years in Ballard

Secret Garden Books is celebrating its 40th Anniversary on April 1 and everyone is invited to participate in the festivities.

The Ballard store is celebrating the milestone of 40 years in business as an independent, brick-and-mortar bookstore owned its entire duration by women.

The community at large is cordially invited to come to the celebration of this momentous occasion. There will be cake, prizes, a homemade photo booth, and mutual community adoration all day.

Check out the anniversary letter from Owner Christy McDanold below:

Dear Friends,

I am sitting at my kitchen table – the same kitchen table where I met with publishers’ sales reps 22 years ago when I had just bought the Secret Garden with no lease, no books, no staff; just the name of a bookshop that had been beloved for many years. But I knew even then that I had taken on more than just another retail business.

For me and the two women who owned the shop before me, the Secret Garden has been a labor of love; love of books, love of people and love of the community that we have fostered throughout the years. The Secret Garden is a place where friends meet, families come on days off from school, and no day goes by without a new friend or old an one cheering us, telling us that
this is their favorite place to buy books.

Over the years we have presented inspiring authors and illustrators to lucky audiences all over the region, delivered fabulous bookfairs to local schools and contributed to hundreds of other fundraisers in a myriad of ways.

We have also hired scores of young people, sometimes for their very first job, sending them on with new skills.

Yet I truly believe that our most enduring contribution to our community is our brick and mortar store, filled with beautiful books carefully chosen with customers old and new in mind, and booksellers ready and highly capable of helping each customer find just the right one. Every day we open our doors the Secret Garden Bookshop is part of the civic and economic vibrancy
that IS community.

YOU are part of our community! Thank you all so much! Come help us celebrate 40 years of Independent bookselling on Saturday April 1!

Christy McDanold &
Booksellers Susan, Marie, Suzanne, Cass, Becky, Taylor, Mary, Christina,
Madison, Ashley & Kristy

Store hours on April 1 are 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Locals are invited to bring their memories of the Garden over the past 40 years and they will be shared creatively with all.