Appalachian Ghost Stories at Neighborly Books: A Spooky Fall-Relief Reading During Maryville Fall Break (Oct 8)
Fall break in Maryville runs Monday, October 5 through Friday, October 9 this year, and if you're looking for one thing that's actually scheduled right in the middle of that week, put Thursday night at Neighborly Books on the list. On Thursday, October 8 at 6 p.m., the downtown Maryville bookstore at 106 E. Broadway Ave. hosts area authors reading spooky Appalachian tales, in partnership with East Tennessee-based Howling Hills Publishing. It's free, it's local, and it lines up perfectly with a week when most organized kids' programming is paused.
The event is a read-aloud night, not a family festival. Local writers share ghost stories and mysteries drawn from the region's folklore, the same kind of tales Howling Hills collects in its annual anthologies. If you've got older kids who like being a little scared but don't want the jump-scares of a haunted house, this is a gentler, story-first way to get into the Halloween spirit. For littler ones, it's less "spooky" and more "cozy fall evening at a bookstore" — bring a kid who can sit still for a read-aloud and you'll be fine.
Neighborly Books is a good spot to know about even if you skip the readings. It's the locally owned bookstore on Broadway (open 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday; noon–7 p.m. Friday; closed Sunday and Monday), with storytime on Wednesdays for younger kids and a general book, game, puzzle and stationery selection. Since it's downtown, you can make a night of it — grab an early dinner nearby, then walk over for the 6 p.m. reading.
One honest note: fall-break-week events are small and occasionally shift, so it's worth a quick call or a peek at Neighborly Books' event calendar before you drive over. But as plans go for that in-between week, a free ghost-story reading in a cozy downtown bookstore is about as low-stress as it gets.
The quick details - What: Appalachian Ghost Stories — area authors reading spooky local tales, in partnership with Howling Hills Publishing - When: Thursday, October 8, 2026, 6 p.m. - Where: Neighborly Books, 106 E. Broadway Ave., Maryville - Cost: Free