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Happenings 2022
August & September
Fairy and Gnome Gardens
Wednesday, August 31st, 5:30-7:00pm, Ages 6+
Invite Fairies and Gnomes to your backyard by building them a magical home! Get creative constructing your own fairyland complete with houses, benches, or whatever your imagination can come up with! Bring your own 2-3 inch deep container or pot, or use one provided by the library. Children under 9 will need assistance.
A fun family activity to create together! Registration encouraged. Call (208) 472-2942 to register.
James Castle Workshop & Lecture
Tuesday, September 20th, 5:30-7:30pm, Adults
Do you know about the life and legacy of Idaho-born artist James Castle? This self-taught artist created thousands of works in his lifetime in incredibly unique ways. Whether you know about him or not, this program promises to be a uniquely Idaho experience, just like Castle. Makenzi Dunstan, Education and Outreach Coordinator at the James Castle House, will provide an educational talk on James Castle, his Boise home, and his artistic practice. Be inspired by his unique techniques and create a Castle-style artwork of your own following the lecture. Using found materials, we will create a range of ability-level pieces.
Stuffed Animal Sleepover & PJ Storytime
Tuesday, September 27th, 7:00pm, All Ages
Bring your favorite stuffed animal for a sleepover at the library! Join us for a special PJ Storytime and leave your stuffed buddy for a night of fun! If you cannot make it to the storytime, feel free to drop off your buddy on Tuesday during open library hours. Pick them up Wednesday, anytime after 12pm. When you pick up your buddy you will get a picture collage of all the fun they had with friends!
YOUTH AND FAMILY HAPPENINGS
Preschool STEAM Storytime, ages 3-7 | Tuesdays / 10:00am |
Toddler Tales, ages 18 months-3 years | Wednesdays / 10:00am |
Kindergarten Readiness, ages 3-6* Registration Required | Wednesdays / 11:00am |
Music & Movement, ages 1-5 | Thursdays / 10:00am |
Tween Zone, ages 8-12 | Thursdays / 5:00pm |
Puppet Show, All Ages | Monthly on a Monday 8/22 & 9/19 – 10:00am |
Special Youth Happenings
Kindergarten Readiness
Wednesdays, 11:00am, Ages 3-6,
New session starts August 17th
This special 6-week program meets once a week to help prepare children aged 3-6 for Kindergarten. Each week, we will learn about the alphabet, cutting, writing, numbers, shapes, classroom skills, and a special topic! Complete all 6 classes to receive a fun educational prize! Please be ready to attend all 6 sessions. Limited Spaces. Registration is required. Please call (208)-472-2942.
Crafty Kids – Nature Mandalas
Tuesday, August 16th, 5:00pm, Ages 6+
“Every Child is an Artist” – Picasso
No matter your skill level, this program is great for most ages and all abilities. This time we will create beautiful sun-catching mandalas with finds from nature.
Puppet Show
Monday, August 22nd & September 19th, 10:00am, All Ages
Join library friends for a fun family-friendly performance and stay after for a craft.
Aug: Cinderella
Sept: Stories with Piggie & Gerald
Superhero Camp Storytime
Friday, August 26th, 10:30am, Ages 3-7
Does your little one dream of being a superhero?
Join us for a SUPER special storytime followed by an obstacle course training session designed especially for little heroes!
Special Tween & Teen Happenings
Tween Zone
Thursdays, 5:00pm, Ages 8-12
Play games, snack on treats, make crafts, and enjoy time with friends! Different activities every week!
Teen Night! Bad Art Night
Wednesday, August 24th, 5:30-7:00pm, Ages 13-17
No artistic skills? No problem! Actually in this event teens will be encouraged to create absolutely terribly tacky works of “Art”. After creating, we will hold a badly put-together gallery show where we will vote on the WORST one. The winner will receive a trophy and the accolades of being the Best Bad Artist around.
Create a Comic Character!
Wednesday, September 28th, 5:30-7:30pm, Ages 8-17
Do you love the art of comics & cartoons? Have you always wanted to create your own character and story? In this special workshop, you can find out how to draw simple animals, give your creature a special personalized characterization, and learn the basics of putting together a storyline for your very own comic book! Any skill level invited! All materials provided by the library. Registration encouraged. Call (208) 472-2942 to register.
ADULT HAPPENINGS
Fit and Fall Proof: Senior Fitness Class, Seniors | Tuesdays, & Thursdays / 11:00am |
Qigong | Wednesdays / 11:00am |
Bingo | Last Wednesdays 8/31 & 9/28 – 3:00pm |
Chess | 2nd Wednesdays 8/10 & 9/14 – 2:00-4:30pm |
Legal Clinic *Registration Required | 3rd Thursdays 8/18 & 9/15 – 4:00-6:00pm |
Book Club Aug: Book Woman’s Daughter, by Kim Michele Richardson Sept: This Tender Land, by William Kent Krueger |
Thursdays August 11th & September 8th / 2:00pm |
Special Adult Happenings
GCPL Survey – Available through August
We are asking patrons to complete a survey to help us create our Strategic Goals for the next 5 years. An electronic version will be available on our website, paper copies available in-house, or use this QR code with your smart device. Thank you for your support!

Extreme Book Nerd Challenge Meet-Up
Thursday, August 11th, 5:30pm
How far along are you? It’s time to chat about our favorite books from EBN categories. Light refreshments provided.
Birding 101 – with Golden Eagle Audubon Society
Tuesday, August 16th, 6:00pm
Do you want to know about the birds you spot in your backyard or on your walks? A bird’s color, song, calls, wing bars, bill shape, lines around the face, and other features and habits are useful for identifying birds. The program will include tips to make it easier to identify birds.
Idaho Department of Labor
Monthly on the 3rd Thursday
August 18th & September 15th, 9:00am-12:00pm
The Department of Labor has several locations to serve Idahoans when they are in need. For more information visit their website, labor.idaho.gov.
Line Dancing – with Dirt Road Dancing
Tuesday, August 23rd, 6:00pm
Are you ready to learn popular line dances? Get ready to show your new moves off at parties, weddings, and more! Light refreshments provided.
Conversational Spanish
Last Tuesday of the Month
August 30th & September 27th, 6:00pm
Back & better than ever! Going on vacation and want to brush up on your Spanish? Come extend what you already know, or learn the basics! Light refreshments provided.
Craft & Chat – Embossing Without a Machine
Tuesday, September 13th, 6:00pm
Come learn techniques on hand embossing fancy paper creations. Placecards for a dinner party, or beautiful handmade bookmarks? The possibilities of what you can create are endless once you learn the basics.
Registration encouraged, call (208)-472-2942 to register.
Cardmaking
Thursday, September 29th, 6:00pm
Make a fall card with materials supplied by the library. Registration is encouraged, call (208)-472-2942 to register.
The Women’s & Children’s Alliance
Monthly on the 3rd Wednesday,
August 17th & September 21st, 1:30-3:30pm
The WCA will be in the lobby of the library. The WCA operates shelters and provides counseling, legal advocacy, crisis services, and case management to survivors of domestic and sexual abuse. For more information, visit www.wcaboise.org.