S3 EP 12: How Two Educators Built Salida Colorado's Most Beloved New Community Space | Salida Book Club

What happens when two full-time middle school teachers look around their mountain town and decide the community needs something that does not exist yet? In this conversation we sit down with Samantha Bahn and Deb Bass O'Brien, the women behind Book Club Salida, a woman owned independent bookstore that opened its brick-and-mortar location in March of 2026 after two summers of farmers market pop ups. This is not just a bookstore story. It is a community story about two educators who saw a gap and decided to fill it while still teaching full time. We talk through their Salida origin stories, how a blizzard road trip to host a school book fair planted the seed, and what they are building beyond just selling books including author events, intimate book clubs, summer camps, and reading retreats. The space also sits in a building with a fascinating history connected to Salida madam Laura Evans and the old downtown speakeasy, and that spirit of female owned community minded business feels very much alive in what they have created.

Connect with Monica:

• www.MonicaSellsSalida.com
• Instagram & Facebook @MonicaSellsSalida
• Email: LivinginSalida@gmail.com or MonicaSellsSalida@gmail.com