The organisers expected that the fair would last from 4:00 in the afternoon until 9:00 in the evening, the advertised times, however they were astonished to see that people began to gather from 1:30, waiting under the hot midday sun so that they would be the first to get their hands on their favourite books. As the clock struck 4:00, hundreds of avid readers of all ages and backgrounds swept Paris Square and within a few short hours, it is estimated that more than 2,000 people came to the fair.