The Rochester Hills Public Library's Book Peddler will roll into the Art & Apples Festival this September for the first time in the program's nine-year history, the library announced in a July 18 blog post.
The addition puts the battery-powered tricycle in front of an estimated 60,000 festivalgoers at Rochester Municipal Park. The juried fine art show, hosted by Paint Creek Center for the Arts, runs Friday, September 11 through Sunday, September 13. Festival organizers say more than 250 artists from across the country will exhibit during what PCCA calls the event's 60th year.
Librarian Connie Firestine, who pedals the Book Peddler to events across Rochester Hills, described the custom-built trike in the blog post. Manufactured by Main Street Pedicabs in Broomfield, Colorado, it features a 3-by-3-foot wooden and metal box packed with books and supplies, a speedometer, multiple gears, and battery assist for the hilly terrain around the library's service area.
"It's quite fun to ride, almost like driving a miniature truck that requires maneuvering through narrow areas and making wide turns," Firestine wrote. "Plus, it's great exercise!"
The Book Peddler has operated at community events within a three-mile radius of the library since its inaugural outing in April 2017. Regular stops include the Rochester Farmers Market, Downtown Sidewalk Sales, Halloween Fest, Festival of the Hills, and Wet and Wild Wednesdays at the Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm. The trike also partners with the Van Hoosen Museum for the Pedal the Past bike tour; the library's Instagram account confirmed the Book Peddler participated in the Tuesday, July 21, 2026, ride.
Residents who spot the Book Peddler at an event can check out books on the spot with a current RHPL library card in good standing. Rochester, Rochester Hills, and Oakland Township residents without a card can register right there using a Michigan driver's license or state ID. Staff connect to the library system through a laptop and mobile hotspot. At events where books can't come along, the crew hands out library swag to promote reading.
Firestine wrote that working the Book Peddler gives staff a way to connect with people who might never walk through the library's doors. Residents can check rhpl.org or the library's social media pages for upcoming outreach dates.
Upcoming community events:
- Wet and Wild Wednesdays — Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm (ongoing summer Wednesdays; check rochesterhillsmuseum.org for specific dates)
- Art & Apples Festival — Friday, September 11 through Sunday, September 13, Rochester Municipal Park, downtown Rochester
