Pop-Ups in the Park

Pop-Ups in the Park bring the joy of books and storytelling directly into the neighborhoods we serve.

Throughout the spring and summer, Our Kids Read transforms local parks into vibrant literacy celebrations where families gather to enjoy live storytelling, music, and free books. At each event, children are invited to explore a wide selection of stories and choose books to take home and keep—helping them begin or grow their own home libraries.

These events feature storytellers, musicians, and community volunteers who create an atmosphere of creativity, imagination, and excitement around reading. Each Pop-Up typically distributes up to 1,000 brand-new books, ensuring that hundreds of children leave with stories they can enjoy long after the event ends.

By meeting families where they are—in parks, playgrounds, and neighborhood gathering spaces—Pop-Ups in the Park make literacy accessible, joyful, and community-centered.

Because sometimes the best way to spark a lifelong love of reading begins with a story in the sunshine and a book to take home.

One "Pop-up in the Park" that we hold every year is the Thomas Jefferson Park event in Spanish Harlem/Manhattan. Here is a video of a past event: