BookCon After Dark
When: Saturday, until 10:30pm
Where: Javits North - Levels 4 & 5
The story doesn’t end when the show floors close but, rather, a new chapter simply begins. But which adventure will you choose? Just think…
Sweeping ball gowns and a thriving dance floor. Pajamas and soft seating for a cozy movie screening. Microphones projecting beloved ballads and original poetry. Not to mention, passionate rounds of bingo, whispered theories surrounding a mystery, and rooms buzzing with laughter long past bedtime.
When the stars make themselves known, BookCon After Dark begins, and readers are invited to gather and revel well into the night.
Fantasy Ball
When: Saturday, 8:00 PM - 10:30 PM
Where: Javits North, Level 5
The Fantasy Ball is your invitation to experience a real-life fairytale where you are the main character.
For two and a half glittering hours, enter our grand ballroom worthy of crowns and courtly intrigue. Whether your preference is a voluminous ballgown complete with a sparkling crown or a fitted ensemble accented by fae ears—tail required, btw—this is your moment to dress to impress.
Whether you see yourself amidst the swirling crowd as a live DJ keeps the dance floor alive, toasting with friends at the nearby bar, or taking advantage of the onsite Glambot® to memorialize the night, there will be plenty to keep oneself entertained. Your adventure awaits.
PJ Party
When: Saturday, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Where: Javits North, Room 405
Feeling like you’d prefer a relaxing night-in with some fellow book lovers? Well then throw on your coziest pajamas and come join our PJ Party where we’ll be screening the 2001 cinematic masterpiece that is “The Princess Diaries”! Just make sure you show up ready to sing along to every word of “Miracles Happen”, promise?
Oh, and! Be prepared for a special surprise before the movie starts…
Poetry Slam
When: Saturday, 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Where: The Grove Stage, Room 406.1
Join us for a one-night-only Poetry Slam, hosted by National Book Award honoree Mahogany L. Browne (A Bird in the Air Means We Can Still Breathe, 2025 YPL Longlister). You can sign up for your chance to participate on-site at The Grove until 7:50pm, and each reader will have 3 minutes. A winner will be selected by Mahogany, with audience support, at the end of the night! The winning poet will receive a $50 gift card to Barnes & Noble Union Square, one of BookCon’s official bookselling partners. Presented in partnership with BookCon and the National Book Foundation.
A Murder Mystery at the Hotel Orient with Gallery Books
When: Saturday 7:30 - 9:30 PM
Where: Javits North, Room 403
How: Take Gallery Book’s Murder Mystery Personality Quiz to receive an exclusive invite.
There has been a murder at Vienna's infamous and seductive Hotel Orient. Our loyal concierge Sterling Lockwood needs your help to solve this crime and keep the historic love hotel's sacred code of secrecy. After all, at the Hotel Orient, your pleasure is our passion, and your privacy is our promise... take our murder mystery personality quiz (linked below) for the chance to receive an exclusive invite!
