How to Make the Most of Your Time at the Book Fair

Talk to your home schooling friends in advance for suggestions.

There are so many workshops and so many products, you cannot possibly see them all in one day. That's why the registration fee is the same whether you attend one or both days. We REALLY hope you can come both days! If you cannot, it is doubly important that you follow the advice given below.

Study all the pages on this website carefully.

Program
Study the Program grid showing all the workshops. Not all workshops will be taped. Decide which workshops you will attend and which workshops you will buy tapes for.

Exhibitors
Make a list of the Exhibitors whose booths you want to visit first. Don't forget to view the special exhibitor categories on the right if you are looking for a particular kind of teaching material.

Bring a sturdy canvas bag or two to carry purchases home in.

Set a dollar limit on what you plan to spend at the Book Fair. Don't forget your checkbook because not all exhibitors accept credit cards. Watch for special Book Fair discounts and used books.

Great food is sold throughout the Arlington Convention Center, so don't bother to bring a sack lunch. Also the Center does NOT permit food brought from outside to be consumed inside the building, and they do NOT have adequate picnicking facilities outside.

If you plan to come both days, spend Friday attending workshops and looking at books. Pick up catalogs. Go home and prepare a list of what you want to buy. Come back Saturday and buy or order what you need.

Small Children
Leave your wee ones home with a family member or friend. Otherwise, it will be a long, tiring event for them, and you won't be able to accomplish much if they require a lot of your attention.

No Strollers - No Carts - No Wagons
No Wheeled Luggage

Parents may wheel their strollers into the Arlington Convention Center. As soon as they enter, they will be asked to check their strollers in the Check Room and leave them there for the day. When they are ready to leave, they may remove their checked strollers from the Check Room and stroll their little ones out to the parking lot. The same holds true for other wheeled vehicles.

Saturday is always less crowded than Friday.

When You Arrive at the Book Fair

If you are confused or overwhelmed by everything that's there, go to Smoothing the Way (Booth 20) where counselors are standing by to help you.

Be Courteous!
If an exhibitor spends a lot of time counseling you, be courteous and buy some products from them.