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LEWISBURG — Prize giveaways, a street fair and a free movie are among the events highlighting the grand opening of the Barnes & Noble at Bucknell University bookstore in downtown Lewisburg today through Sunday.
The campus and public are invited to attend the celebration, beginning at 1 p.m. today with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the bookstore, 400 Market St., including remarks by representatives from Bucknell, the borough, the state and Barnes & Noble.
A street fair, featuring free food and entertainment, including musicians, jugglers and face-painting, will follow from 5 to 7 p.m. on North Fourth Street, next to the bookstore between Market Street and Cherry Alley.
A series of children’s events will be held Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. with entertainment and appearances by Dr. Seuss characters at the Campus Theatre across the street from the bookstore. This will be followed by a free showing of the film, “Horton Hears a Who!” with free popcorn and drinks, at 2 p.m. at the theater and a reading of the book at 4 p.m. in the bookstore.
Bookstore employees will hand out 25-percent discount coupons in the store today through Sunday. In addition, customers may enter drawings to win $25 Barnes & Noble gift cards. Ten gift card winners will be selected each day during the grand-opening weekend.
Barnes & Noble at Bucknell
The Barnes & Noble at Bucknell University bookstore opened this summer following a yearlong restoration of its historic building, parts of which date to 1900. The bookstore contains 29,500 square feet of assorted books and merchandise displayed among artifacts from the building’s past and photographs showcasing the history of Bucknell and Lewisburg.
Occupying the former C. Dreisbach’s Sons Hardware Store, the bookstore has a Starbucks cafe and a separate space for small gatherings, including literary and artistic performances as well as community meetings.
The bookstore features a 68-foot-long skylight over a three-story atrium, the first escalators ever installed in Union County and the building’s original Otis freight elevator, which has been re-imagined as a children’s reading area on the bottom floor.
In addition to inside the cafe, the bookstore has seating on all floors where students and other customers may study or read. Wi-Fi access is available throughout.
The store’s regular hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and noon to 5 Sundays.
Careful restoration
Many of the bookstore’s architectural elements were restored by hand, including much of the original brickwork, woodwork and steel casement and wooden double-hung windows.
Several other features of the original Dreisbach’s building were preserved and are on display, including an ornate black steel safe, which workers discovered inside an interior wall. The safe contained bank records and the building’s architectural blueprints.
Much of the original building was rebuilt after a fire in 1941, in which two firefighters died. A commemorative plaque honoring the firefighters from the William Cameron Engine Company, of Lewisburg, hangs outside the building. After Dreisbach’s closed in 1965, the building housed several businesses and offices through 2008.
New shuttle service
A free shuttle service for students will loop campus, the downtown bookstore and other locations. It will run from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and noon to 8 Sundays. More details will be announced soon.
Students also will have the option to order textbooks online and have them delivered to the Bucknell post office for pickup on campus.
The new bookstore replaces the campus bookstore, which had been located in the Elaine Langone Center. The move frees up more than 12,500 square feet, which will be renovated to create a large gathering and “hearth space” for students. The space also will house various student leadership and activities offices when the renovations are completed.
Grand opening weekend
Following is a schedule of events for the grand opening. Discounts and opportunities to enter the gift card drawings will be available throughout the weekend.
* Today
1 p.m., grand opening and ribbon-cutting at the Barnes & Noble at Bucknell University bookstore.
5 to 7 p.m., street fair with free food and entertainment, on North Fourth Street adjacent to the bookstore.
* Saturday
1 p.m., children’s entertainment and appearances by Dr. Seuss characters at the Campus Theatre.
2 p.m., free showing of “Horton Hears a Who!” with free popcorn and drinks at the Campus Theatre.
4 p.m., reading of “Horton Hears a Who!” at the Barnes & Noble at Bucknell University bookstore.
* Sunday
Bookstore discounts and prize giveaways continue at the bookstore.
