Borders hosts grand openings in Calif. and N.C.

OXNARD, Calif., /PRNewswire/ -- Borders is celebrating the grand opening of its 23,000-square-foot store in Oxnard at 241 West Esplanade Drive Fri., Oct. 26 through Sun., Oct. 28.

Throughout the weekend, special events are planned including a community benefit celebration, a Scholastic Children's Festival, a Universal Music Java Jive and Jazz Party and DK Publishing's Keep It Simple Sunday. Borders kicks-off the grand opening festivities Fri., Oct. 26 with a community benefit celebration supporting the Reach Out and Read program. Borders will donate a portion of the sales made during the party to this program. Beginning at 6:00 p.m., Flamenco guitarist Robbie L'Ongley will perform. At 7:30 p.m., magician Christopher J. De Palma presents a magical extravaganza for all ages.

Customers can dance to the Latin jazz sounds of Benise beginning at 8 p.m. In addition, there will be a celebration cake from Yankee Doodle Bakery, and enter-to-win door prizes will be given away throughout the evening. Borders will continue the fun Sat., Oct. 27, with a Children's Festival presented by Scholastic.

The first 200 children, 12 and under, will receive free Captain Underpants t-shirts and can enter to win a treasure chest of books provided by Scholastic.

Beginning at 10 a.m., kids can take part in wild activities and exciting adventures at the "Captain Underpants Extra Crunchy Hour O' Fun N' Games."

Boys and girls will be invited to meet The Cat in the Hat for a storytime and special activities at 11 a.m.

At 1 p.m., the whole family is encouraged to participate in a "From Sea to Shining Sea" family sing-a-long with Donna Broderick followed at 2 p.m. with "Funny Bone Chilling Tales" told by Laura Pruden. Saturday evening, Borders will be grooving when Universal Music presents a Java Jive and Jazz Party.

Customers can enter to win the "Essentials Jazz Gift Set" featuring Ken Burns' book "Jazz: A History of America's Music" and a starter set of Borders Jazz Essentials CDs courtesy of Universal/Verve Music. Using Borders' exclusive digital listening system, music fanatics can test their skills and win selected Jazz Essentials CDs at the Verve Music Jazz Trivia Challenge, beginning at 7 p.m.

At 8 p.m., the DPQ Quartet will deliver a live musical performance. Closing the weekend festivities, Sun., Oct. 28, DK Publishing will celebrate Keep It Simple Sunday.

Throughout the day customers can enter to win the grand prize, a DK Keep It Simple Series Gift Basket filled with resources to help live the good life, provided by DK Publishing.

Beginning at noon, free chair massages will be compliments of Linda Tomello, Licensed Massage Therapist. At 1 p.m., Elaine Hogue leads a seminar called "Learn the Feng Shui Way." A live musical performance by The Nate Birkey Quintet begins at 2 p.m.

Learn "The Healing Power of Reiki" from Brenda Watson of the Reiki Center of Los Angeles at 4 p.m. followed by an "Is Yoga for You?" workshop led by local expert Sherill Leonardi at 5 p.m. Throughout the grand opening weekend, experience what Borders has to offer Oxnard year-round -- community benefit days, educational and fun children's programming, diverse music events and a wonderful place to discover.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C., /PRNewswire/ -- Borders is celebrating the grand opening of its 25,000-square-foot store in Chapel Hill at US 14-510 and Sage Road Fri., Oct. 26 through Sun., Oct. 28.

Throughout the weekend, special events are planned including a community benefit celebration, a Scholastic Children's Festival, a Universal Music Java Jive and Jazz Party and DK Publishing's Keep It Simple Sunday. Borders kicks-off the grand opening festivities Fri., Oct. 26 with a community benefit celebration supporting the Reach Out and Read program at the University of North Carolina Memorial Hospital.

Borders will donate a portion of the sales made during the party to this program. Beginning at 6:00 p.m., musician Frank Corbi will perform.

At 7:00 p.m., Wright Clarkston, "The Story Guy" presents an all-ages storytelling extravaganza. Customers can enjoy live music from the Freddy Greene Jazz Trio at 8 p.m.

In addition, there will be a celebration cake from Weaver Street Market, and enter-to-win door prizes given away throughout the evening. Borders will continue the fun Sat., Oct. 27, with a Children's Festival presented by Scholastic.

The first 200 children, 12 and under, will receive free Captain Underpants t-shirts and can enter to win a treasure chest of books provided by Scholastic.

Beginning at 10 a.m., kids can take part in wild activities and exciting adventures at the "Captain Underpants Extra Crunchy Hour O' Fun N' Games."

Boys and girls will be invited to meet Clifford the Big Red Dog for a storytime and special activities at noon. At 2 p.m., the whole family is encouraged to participate in a "From Sea to Shining Sea" family sing-a-long with Patricia Miller followed at 4 p.m. by Wright Clarkston "The Story Guy" returning to tell more tales. Saturday evening, Borders will be grooving when Universal Music presents a Java Jive and Jazz Party.

Customers can enter to win the "Essentials Jazz Gift Set" featuring Ken Burns' book "Jazz: A History of America's Music" and a starter set of Borders Jazz Essentials CDs courtesy of Universal Music.

Using Borders' exclusive digital listening system, music fanatics can test their skills and win selected Jazz Essentials CDs at the Verve Music Jazz Trivia Challenge, beginning at 7 p.m.

At 8 p.m., Laanyuni and friends will deliver a live musical performance. Closing the weekend festivities, Sun., Oct. 28, DK Publishing will celebrate Keep It Simple Sunday.

Throughout the day customers can enter to win the grand prize, a DK Keep It Simple Series Gift Basket filled with resources to help live the good life, provided by DK Publishing.

Beginning at noon, free chair massages will be compliments of Chapel Hill Therapeutic Massage. At 1 p.m., get "Travel Tips for Turbulent Times" from Beth White of Absolute Adventures. A live musical performance by The Windsor Trio will start at 2 p.m. Local expert Katie Weber heads a seminar called "Learn the Feng Shui Way" at 3 p.m.

Tracey Bogart from Triangle Yoga leads an "Is Yoga for You?" workshop at 4 p.m. followed by "From Store Bought to Homemade" cooking secrets from Emyl Jenkins 5 p.m. Throughout the grand opening weekend, experience what Borders has to offer Chapel Hill year-round -- community benefit days, educational and fun children's programming, diverse music events and a wonderful place to discover.

Borders Group, Inc. (NYSE: BGP) is a leading global retailer of books, music, video and other information and entertainment items with stores in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

A FORTUNE 500 company headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich., Borders Group employs 30,000 worldwide and operates over 345 Borders domestic superstores, 17 international Borders stores, 32 Books etc. locations and approximately 860 Waldenbooks stores.

Teamed with Amazon.com, the company also offers online shopping through Borders.com (http://www.borders.com ). More detailed information for journalists is available at http://www.bgimediacenter.com .

Financial data is hosted on http://www.bordersgroupinc.com and information on Borders stores is available through http://www.bordersstores.com .

SOURCE: Borders Group, Inc.
CONTACT: Jenie Carlen of Borders Group, Inc., +1-734-477-1655, jcarlen@bordersgroupinc.com
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Web site: http://www.bordersgroupinc.com / (BGP)