The third Saturday of every April marks an international holiday known as Record Store Day. At once a celebration of vinyl records, the people who love them, and the bands that make them, Record Store Day is also a celebration of independent record stores and their owners, who are — more often than not — denizens of taste, culture, and art.

Record lovers have seen their value and importance in the community rising steadily once again, thanks to the enduring sound quality and the amazing artwork that so often accompanies vinyl. For lovers of music and local businesses, Record Store Day is the perfect time to show your affection, especially for the visitor staying in Niagara Falls, because the area has a few excellent record stores that will be marking the occasion.

Not long ago, it seemed like digital music would wholly usurp vinyl as the way people experienced recorded music, and although its popularity certainly dropped, vinyl never really went away, and now, it looks like its popularity is on the upswing again. With the Wall Street Journal reporting that 2014 vinyl sales increased by 49 percent over the previous year, and this year looking to surpass that, there’s never been a better time wander into an independent record store — especially on Record Store Day. Here is some of what you can look forward to and where to get it.

What’s Happening

The most exciting reason to head into a record store on April, 18th 2015 is because of all the vinyl releases are coming out that day in record stores only. While each local store will have local offerings that can’t be gotten elsewhere, national and international acts put out records that are distributed all over, from rare, never-before-heard B sides to classics that are out of print. Here is a sampling of what’s coming out this Record Store Day:

• Johnny Cash, Koncert v. Praze. This record features a live concert recording of the Man in Black when he performed in Prague in 1983.
• Miles Davis, The Prestige 10 Inch LP Collection Volume 2. These recordings are from when Davis was the bandleader of Prestige. All the songs are from 1954, and they’re reproduced with original artwork.
• Goldfrapp, Felt Mountain. This is the first reissue of the British duo’s 2000 release. Original copies of it routinely sell for more than $100.
• The Sugarhill Gang, The Best Of. A double 12-inch set, this release features all the hits from one of hip-hop’s seminal acts.

If you’re planning on being in the Niagara region the third weekend of April or after, pencil in some time to experience Record Store Day at one of these area stores:

• Ragged Glory CD & LP Exchange. Located on Queen Street in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Ragged Glory specializes in vintage vinyl and video games.
• Shop Radio Cast. This newly opened boutique record store just opened on Main Street in Niagara Falls, Ontario, but they’ve been doing business online for over seven years.
• Music Matters. This Niagara Falls, New York store has been trading in vinyl, CDs, video games, and more since 2008.

Fill your vacation with music by hitting Record Store Day when you visit Niagara.