Dayton Book Fair Finds New Home After Months of Searching

The non-profit book fair has moved into a temporary space as it prepares to announce its permanent location in the coming weeks.

Published on Feb. 17, 2026

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After over 20 years at its previous headquarters and three years operating the Rabbit Hole Books store, the Dayton Book Fair has been forced to find a new home. The non-profit had to move out of its previous space and has been searching for months, facing challenges like a smashed storefront and a neighboring fire. But the book fair's executive director says they're excited to announce their permanent new location in the coming weeks, and they're grateful for the community support that has helped sustain them through this transition.

Why it matters

The Dayton Book Fair has been a beloved institution in the community for over 50 years, providing access to books and literary events. Its relocation is significant as it navigates challenges facing small, independent bookstores and non-profits in an evolving retail landscape, underscoring the importance of community support for preserving local cultural institutions.

The details

The Dayton Book Fair had been headquartered on Embury Park Road for over 20 years and operated the Rabbit Hole Books store on First Street for three years. But the organization faced a series of setbacks, including the smashing of Rabbit Hole's front windows over the summer and a fire in a neighboring parking garage that forced the store to close for cleaning. All of this happened as the non-profit searched for a new home after being told by its landlord that it needed to move out.

  • Over the summer, the front windows of the Rabbit Hole Books store were smashed.
  • Just last week, a fire in a neighboring parking garage forced the Rabbit Hole Books store to close for cleaning.
  • The Dayton Book Fair has been headquartered on Embury Park Road for over 20 years.
  • The Dayton Book Fair has operated the Rabbit Hole Books store on First Street for three years.
  • The Dayton Book Fair expects Rabbit Hole Books to reopen on March 6th.

The players

Dayton Book Fair

A non-profit organization that has provided access to books and literary events in the Dayton community for over 50 years.

Rabbit Hole Books

A bookstore operated by the Dayton Book Fair for the past three years.

Larkin Vonalt

The executive director of the Dayton Book Fair.

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What they’re saying

“The community has been wonderful. It really does feel like family. We feel like we get a tremendous amount of support and love, and that really helps sustain us in times like this. I mean, we were in tears over, you know, over all of this.”

— Larkin Vonalt, Executive Director (WKEF)

“We're going to take some time with the new place to make sure that since that's going to be our permanent home and it's going to belong to us to make sure it's set up in the most efficient way possible. We'll have some room to grow and some new projects coming on in the years to come that we're really super excited about.”

— Larkin Vonalt, Executive Director (WKEF)

“We are, I think, a group of people who look for the answers, for the solutions to problems and and ways to move forward, and we're not going to be knocked down by this. We love Dayton. We're not planning to abandon it for the suburbs and, you know, we're just going to keep doing all the stuff we need to do.”

— Larkin Vonalt, Executive Director (WKEF)

What’s next

The Dayton Book Fair will be announcing its permanent new home in the coming weeks, after taking time to ensure the new space is set up efficiently and can accommodate the organization's future growth and new projects.

The takeaway

The Dayton Book Fair's resilience in the face of adversity underscores the vital role community-driven cultural institutions play, and the importance of local support in helping them navigate challenges and continue serving their communities.