Target is turning the launch of the sixth Court of Thorns and Roses book into the biggest freebie event of the fall. On October 26, roughly 250 Target stores will stay open late for an A Court of Splintered Harmony midnight release experience, and the first 100 guests at each location walk away with a free Bryaxis keychain plus a commemorative entry ticket.
We read Target's official press release and every major write-up so you don't have to dig. The short version: doors at participating stores open at 9 p.m. local time on October 26, the book goes on sale at midnight, and both freebies are while-supplies-last with no RSVP required.
There is one trap hiding in the fine print, though. If you pre-ordered the book from Target, you cannot pick it up at the midnight event. Below we break down exactly how the giveaway works, what the free keychain is actually worth, how many stores are participating, and what to do instead if your local Target is not on the list.
Quick Summary
Item | Details |
|---|---|
Freebie | Bryaxis keychain + entry ticket |
Who gets it | First 100 guests per store |
When | Oct 26, 9 p.m. – midnight, local time |
Where | ~250 select Target stores |
RSVP needed | No, first-come first-served |
Catch | Ticket lets you buy the book at midnight, not free |
What Is the Target ACOTAR Midnight Release Event?
The midnight release event is Target's in-store launch party for A Court of Splintered Harmony, book six in Sarah J. Maas's A Court of Thorns and Roses series. It runs from 9 p.m. on October 26 until midnight, local time, at approximately 250 Target locations across the country.
According to Target's official press release, guests can purchase the new book at midnight, test their ACOTAR knowledge with themed trivia, shop the exclusive collection, take photos, and celebrate alongside fellow fans. It is the first new ACOTAR book in five years, which explains the scale of the rollout.
The event is free to attend and does not require registration. You only need to show up at a participating store before the first-100 cutoff if you want the keychain and ticket. Target has a dedicated store-lookup tool for the event on Target.com, so check whether your local store is one of the roughly 250 before you plan your night.
This is the rare retail event that book-industry watchers compare to the Harry Potter midnight parties of the 2000s. Time Out covered the launch and noted the assortment of Prythian-inspired goodies, most priced under $20, that will be on shelves.
What's Free: Bryaxis Keychain, Entry Ticket and Gift With Purchase
Three separate freebies are stacked into this one event, and it is worth knowing which one you are actually competing for.
1. Free Bryaxis keychain. The first 100 guests at each of the ~250 participating stores receive a complimentary Bryaxis keychain. Bryaxis is the fan-favorite beast from the series, and the merch was designed in partnership with Sarah J. Maas herself, per Parade's coverage via Yahoo.
2. Commemorative entry ticket. The same first 100 guests get a ticket that grants the opportunity to purchase A Court of Splintered Harmony at midnight. Read that carefully: the ticket is a purchasing priority, not a free book. Everyone else can still buy the book when doors open to general sale.
3. Gift with purchase. Every guest who buys book six at Target receives an exclusive gift designed in partnership with the author, while supplies last. Separately, guests who purchase an ACOTAR Hasbro game during the event get a special gift with purchase, also while supplies last.
We checked SheKnows' breakdown of the collection: nearly 85 percent of the ACOTAR merchandise is exclusive to Target, and most items are priced under $20.
That includes four fine'ry x ACOTAR fragrances at $20 each, ACOTAR-inspired teas, Alex and Ani jewelry, apparel, journals, puzzles, and BOOMCHICKAPOP Sweet and Salty Kettle Corn in a limited-edition ACOTAR bag.
Freebie | Who qualifies | Expiry risk |
|---|---|---|
Bryaxis keychain | First 100 per store | One night only |
Entry ticket | First 100 per store | One night only |
Book gift with purchase | Any book buyer | While supplies last |
Hasbro game gift | Game buyers at event | While supplies last |
How Many Stores, and Are Your Odds Good?
Roughly 250 stores are participating out of Target's nearly 2,000 US locations, which means only about one in eight stores is hosting. That is the single most important logistics fact in this entire article, because a fan who shows up at a non-participating store gets nothing.
Do the first-100 math and the scale becomes clear: 250 stores multiplied by 100 guests equals a maximum of about 25,000 keychains nationwide. For a series with millions of readers, per-store scarcity is real. The Pop Insider, which reviewed the launch details, reported that the events also include photo opportunities and shopping, so arriving at 8:30 p.m. for a 9 p.m. open is not overcautious.
There is no published per-store allocation list beyond the first-100 rule, and Target has not said whether smaller-format stores got excluded. The practical takeaway: use the store finder on Target.com the day before, and if the nearest participating store is 45 minutes away, weigh the drive against the queue ahead of you.
How to Claim Step by Step
The claiming process is deliberately simple, but the sequence matters because both headline freebies depend on arrival order.
Open the store finder on Target.com and confirm your local store is one of the ~250 hosting the event.
Arrive before 9 p.m. local time on October 26, ideally 30 minutes early for the queue.
At entry, staff hand the first 100 guests the Bryaxis keychain and commemorative entry ticket.
Browse the exclusive ACOTAR collection, join the trivia, and take photos while you wait.
At midnight, ticket holders get the opportunity to purchase the book first.
Buying the book triggers the gift with purchase, while supplies last.
One more mechanical note from Target's press release: the event runs through midnight, not until dawn. If you arrive at 11:50 p.m. you may still buy the book, but the first-100 freebies will be long gone.
Who Is Eligible?
Anyone can attend, and Target has published no age restriction or membership requirement for the midnight event. Unlike our earlier Target Circle giveaway coverage, there is no app, no loyalty account, and no digital claim step here. You walk in, you are in the running.
The only real eligibility filter is geographic: the ~250 participating stores are spread across the country but are not in every city. Fans in smaller markets are the most likely to face a drive. The first-100 rule is the second filter, and it is purely about arrival time.
Families should note the event runs late on a Monday night. There is no stated age minimum, and Target events of this type are typically family-friendly, but a midnight book sale skews adult. Plan childcare accordingly if you are chasing the keychain.
Important Fine Print and Pitfalls
We went through the official release line by line, and four details trip people up every single time a retailer runs a midnight launch.
The pre-order trap. Pre-ordered copies of A Court of Splintered Harmony cannot be picked up at the midnight event. If you pre-ordered from Target, you must wait until stores open on October 27. Do not queue for hours only to be told your book is behind the counter until morning.
While-supplies-last applies twice. Both gift-with-purchase offers, the book gift and the Hasbro game gift, are while supplies last. The press release does not quantify either allocation, so treat them as first-come, first-served within the event window.
The ticket is not a coupon. The commemorative entry ticket grants the opportunity to purchase the book at midnight. It carries no discount, and the book sells at its standard cover price.
Merch drop timing. The exclusive ACOTAR collection hit shelves on October 11, more than two weeks before the event. If you only care about the BrüMate Starfall and Cursebreaker drinkware or the fine'ry fragrances, you can shop now and skip the midnight chaos entirely. BrüMate lists the ACOTAR-inspired pieces on its official site.
Pro tip: the keychain and ticket go to the first 100 guests, but the gift with purchase goes to every book buyer. If you miss the cutoff, you still get something free for showing up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Bryaxis keychain really free?
Yes. The first 100 guests at each participating store receive it with no purchase required, per Target's official announcement. It is separate from the gift with purchase, which does require buying the book. No membership, RSVP, or coupon is involved, which makes this one of the cleanest no-strings giveaways Target has run this year.
What time does the Target ACOTAR event start?
The event starts at 9 p.m. local time on October 26 and runs until midnight across every time zone, so the ET, CT, MT, and PT start times are all 9 p.m. in local terms. Book sales begin at 12 a.m. on October 27. If your store is near a time-zone border, use the store's local clock, not your phone's.
Do I need to pre-order or register?
No registration or RSVP is required, and pre-ordering actually works against you for this event because pre-orders cannot be collected at midnight. Walk-ins are the entire mechanism. Time Out's report confirms the first-100 freebies are handed out on arrival order.
Can I get the free keychain without buying anything?
Yes, the keychain and entry ticket are standalone freebies for the first 100 guests. However, the separate gift designed in partnership with Sarah J. Maas only comes with a book purchase, and the additional Hasbro gift only comes with a game purchase. Stack all three by arriving early and buying at midnight.
What if my local Target is not participating?
Check the store finder on Target.com first, since roughly one in eight stores is hosting. If yours is not on the list, your backup is to pre-order and pick up on October 27 when stores open, or shop the exclusive collection online.
Fans who also want more freebies this season can follow our Lakeshore castle build coverage for free kids events closer to home.
Is the ACOTAR collection exclusive to Target?
Nearly 85 percent of the assortment is Target-exclusive, according to SheKnows' merchandise breakdown. That includes the four fine'ry fragrances, the teas, and most apparel. A few pieces, like the BrüMate drinkware line, also appear on the brand's own channels, but the ACOTAR variants are positioned as Target launches.
Similar Deals Worth Checking Out
Target's free Sherpa zip pouch giveaway followed the same first-come pattern at an in-store demo event.
Target Pokémon 30th anniversary celebration used first-98 goodie bags at a Sunday afternoon event.
Target Beauty Studio celebration gave Circle bonuses to the first 100 guests per store.
Barnes and Noble's free LEGO snowman build is a quieter free family event in November.
Lowe's free kids workshops continue the free family event calendar into mid-November.
About A Court of Splintered Harmony
A Court of Splintered Harmony is the sixth book in Sarah J. Maas's A Court of Thorns and Roses series, published by Bloomsbury and releasing October 27, 2026.
It is the first ACOTAR installment in five years, following 2021's A Court of Silver Flames, and picks up the Night Court's struggle against Koschei the Deathless, as Time Out's launch report summarized.
Target's position as the launch partner is unusually deep for a book release: a storewide collection spanning drinkware, tea, jewelry, fragrance, games, and snacks, nearly all exclusive to the retailer.
The publisher's official US site lists the title among its fall frontlist, and the author's official site continues to be the canonical source for series information.
Sources & References
Target corporate press release: ACOTAR collection and midnight release
Time Out: Target to host midnight release events at 250 stores
Parade via Yahoo: Target's ACOTAR midnight events and exclusive merch
SheKnows: Everything included in Target's ACOTAR merch collection
The Pop Insider: Target goes big for A Court of Splintered Harmony
