Rob Riggle and Ree Drummond Headline Rainy Day Books’ 50-Year Celebration

KC’s beloved independent bookstore Rainy Day Books (2706 W. 53rd St., Fairway) turns the big 5-0 next month, and is celebrating the milestone appropriately: with a blockbuster lineup of events, author appearances and community celebrations.

Founded in 1975, Rainy Day has hosted guests from presidents to Pulitzer winners to local legends. This fall’s anniversary season brings that same energy that keeps readers coming back after five decades.

Rounding out the month of events will be KC native Rob Riggle, who comes to town Nov. 24 to talk about his new memoir, Rob Riggle: Grit, Spit, and Never Quit.

November 4

50 Years of Rainy Day Books: A Celebration with Vivien Jennings

Hear from Rainy Days founder Vivien Jennings in conversation with local author David Von Drehle as they reflect on half a century of books, conversations and community. “She is the 50 years,” Annie Krieg, General Manager at Rainy Day, says. “It’s an hour-long program, but I anticipate everyone is going to be like, ‘I think I could have listened to this for six hours.’”

The event offers a chance for longtime customers to place their own memories within the bookstore’s larger story. “Maybe you have your story where you were at the Stephen King event and he played the guitar for you, and he’s never done that at any other book event,” Krieg says. “But you don’t know about 1990 to 1996, and so getting to place your own Rainy Day Books experience in a timeline of this historical icon. It’s just cool.”

Proceeds from the event will benefit the store’s Books for All program, which brings books and book fairs to students in need.

7:00 pm. Unity Temple on the Plaza, 707 W. 47th St., KCMO

November 7

Ree Drummond: The Pioneer Woman Cooks

The Pioneer Woman herself returns to Kansas City to talk about her newest cookbook—a cozy collection of her all-time favorite, family-tested recipes—and to share stories from life on the ranch in rural Oklahoma.

7 pm. Unity Temple on the Plaza, 707 W. 47th St., KCMO

November 13

Story by Story: The KC Book Fair

Rainy Day Books teams up with Lead to Read KC, a nonprofit dedicated to enhancing children’s literacy through mentoring and community programs. The event will channel the nostalgia of school book fairs, with storytimes, author readings and local vendors like Made in KC, Café Corazón and Ruby Jean’s Juicery.

According to Krieg, the programming is part of Rainy Day’s rapidly expanding book fair initiative. The store went from hosting zero school book fairs two years ago to 13 this year—growth so swift that Annie recently hired three new staff members to keep up with demand.

12:30-7:30 pm. Westport Middle School. 300 E. 39th St., KCMO

November 24

Rob Riggle: Grit, Spit, and Never Quit

Before he was in The Hangover or 21 Jump Street, and after he was a teen attending Shawnee Mission South, Rob Riggle served as a Marine with tours in Afghanistan and Kosovo. His new memoir blends those experiences with stories of comedy, failure and the grit that’s carried him through it all. To wrap up Rainy Day’s 50th festivities, he’ll return home to talk all about it.

7 pm. Unity Temple on the Plaza, 707 W. 47th St, KCMO

Join Rainy Day Books as they celebrate 50 years and the community that’s made it possible. “When you have something to fight for, the community has always really rallied for us,” Krieg says. “Last year we had the single-greatest sales day we’ve had in 50 years. The community is showing up in a pretty cool way right now.”

The post Rob Riggle and Ree Drummond Headline Rainy Day Books’ 50-Year Celebration appeared first on Kansas City Magazine.