Bonfire Bookstore & Yarnery hosted its grand opening earlier this month at 108 N. Main St. in Woodstock, Va. The store, which sells new and used books as well as yarn, jigsaw puzzles, board games, and gifts, notes on its website: "Our mission is to cultivate a love of reading, learning, and creative play among residents of and visitors to Shenandoah County. We aim to be a third place where everyone in the community feels welcome to spend time, make new friends, and relax."
After the opening, owner Kara Balcerzak posted on Instagram: "I was absolutely blown away by the crowds who came out to support my bookstore tonight! Thank you, everyone!!!! My heart is so full, and my body is so exhausted."
A few weeks before the ribbon-cutting festivities, Balcerzak had shared the story of her path to becoming a bookstore owner with the Northern Virginia Daily, which reported that "her intention is to ignite a spark--a burning ember for reading or a glowing inspiration for just plain social conversation--similar to how people gather at a bonfire, a community meeting spot where people have fun."
Bonfire Bookstore's design includes social spaces for organized or impromptu board games, puzzles, children's play, along with reading areas and casual corners where people can gather. An avid knitter and crocheter, Balcerzak is offering impromptu lessons as well as supplies of various yarns and materials.
After graduating from the University of Virginia, Balcerzak was in the Peace Corps before returning to the U.S. and joining AmeriCorps. "I spent years working in anti-poverty and sustaining communities. And all that time, I was thinking, 'I want to have a bookstore,' " she recalled, adding that her mother and grandmother were librarians. "This is my version of the family legacy. This feels like it is my destiny."