Happenings 2024
AUGUST & SEPTEMBER
End of Summer Reading Celebration
Thursday, August 8th, 5:00-6:30pm, All Ages
You read all summer long! Now it is time to celebrate your accomplishments and everything you earned! Get ready to hang out with friends, craft, win prizes with carnival games, race through an inflatable obstacle course, listen to bands from Boise Rock School, and cool off with otter pops! You don’t want to miss this last party before school starts!
Fairy and Gnome Gardens
Tuesday, August 20th, 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 and popular family activity to create some magic together! Registration required. Call (208) 472-2942 to register.
Family STEM Night
Wednesday, September 25th, 6:00pm-7:30pm, All Ages
Bring the whole family for a fun interactive experience! Our Community Partners will be joining GCPL to give you multiple stations filled with activities & crafts that explore topics in science, technology, engineering, and math. Pizza and refreshments will be provided!
YOUTH AND FAMILY HAPPENINGS
| Preschool STEAM Storytime, ages 3-7 | Tuesdays / 10:00am |
| Open Play | Wednesdays / 10:00am |
| Kindergarten Readiness, ages 3-6. *Registration Required | Wednesdays / 11:00am |
| Toddler Tunes & Tales | Thursdays / 10:00am |
| Tween Zone, ages 8-15, *No Class 8/8 | Thursdays / 5:00pm |
| Puppet Show, All Ages | Monday, 8/26 & 9/23 – 11:00am |
Special Youth Happenings
Open Play
Wednesdays, 10:00am
Step into a world of playtime! Come and make new friends, both for you and your little one, during our open play sessions. Explore together through crafts, learning stations, blocks, train sets, and more.
Tunes & Tales
Thursdays, 10:00am
Gear up for a whirlwind of fun with our energetic storytime! It’s a perfect blend of captivating stories, toe-tapping tunes, groovy moves, and loads of learning! After storytime we will dive into 30 minutes of open play, complete with rotating take-home treasures such as books, crafts, and learning materials.
Kindergarten Readiness
Wednesdays, 11:00am, Ages 3-6
New session begins on August 21st
Get ready to turn your tiny humans (aged 3-6) into kindergarten superheroes with this 6-week session! We’ll be on a wild ride of name writing, ABC adventuring, and mastering the art of raising hands like true classroom champs. Registration is required. Please call (208)-472-2942 to register.
Crafty Kids: Circuit Light-Up Cards
Tuesday, August 6th, 5:00pm, Ages 8+
Create a Light-Up Card! Unleash your STEAM power and creativity as you craft a glowing card for family, friends, or yourself. Dive into the world of circuits and have fun experimenting with paper circuits and art. It’s a bright way to learn and create!
Puppet Show
Monday, August 26th & September 23rd, 11:00am
Get ready for a family-friendly spectacle that’ll have you laughing and cheering. After the show, stick around for a crafty adventure that’s bound to spark your child’s creativity.
Aug: Chicken Little
Sept: Stories With Piggie & Gerald, by Mo Willems
Dog Days of Summer Storytime
Friday, August 30th, 10:30am
Do you think YOU’RE hot out there? How do you think our beloved furry friends feel? That’s why we call this time of year the “Dog Days of Summer.” Join us for a super cool dog-themed storytime with special guests from Helping Idaho Dogs, Inc! They will bring a pack of dogs to enjoy the cool temps of the library with us. Learn about therapy and other working dogs, practice reading skills with these patient pups, and cool off from the end-of-summer heat with pup-sicles! After the storytime, we will take turns meeting the pack while working on a craft.
Frog and Toad Storytime
Friday, September 27th, 10:30am
Hop on over to our special Frog and Toad Storytime! We all know and love the classic tales of Frog and Toad, so we’ve created a fun-filled storytime with activities and crafts inspired by their adventures. Join us for enchanting stories, froggy crafts, and lots of hopping good fun!
Youth programs will be taking a break August 12th- 16th
ADULT HAPPENINGS
| Fit and Fall Proof: Senior Fitness Class | *Registration Required *No Class 8/8, 910, 9/12 |
Tuesdays & Thursdays / 11:00am & 12:15pm |
| Qigong | *No Class 9/13 | Wednesdays / 11:00am |
| Bingo | Last Wednesdays, 8/28 & 9/25 – 3:00pm | |
| Sound Bath Immersive Music Meditations | *Ages 18+ *No Class 9/13 |
Wednesdays – 1:00pm Saturdays 8/10, 8/24, 9/7 – 12:00pm |
| Women’s & Children’s Alliance | Monthly on the 3rd Wednesday 8/21 & 9/18, 1:30-3:30pm |
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| Book Club | Aug: TBD – Email Programs@gardencitylibrary.org for info Sept: The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store, by James McBride |
2nd Thursdays, 8/8 & 9/12- 2:00pm |
| Legal Clinic | *Registration Required | 3rd Thursdays, 8/15 & 9/19 – 4:00-6:00pm |
| Craft & Chat | *Registration Required | Every other month, 9/17 – 5:30-7:00pm |
Special Adult Happenings
The Women’s & Children’s Alliance
Monthly on the 3rd Wednesday
8/21 & 9/18, 1:30-3:30pm
The WCA will be in the library lobby, offering shelters, counseling, legal advocacy, and more for survivors of domestic and sexual abuse.
Sound Bath & Immersive Music Meditations
Every Wednesday, 1:00pm,
Saturdays, 12:00pm, 8/10, 8/24, 9/7, 9/28
Soundwell Boise consists of two to five skillful ambient musicians, who weave together a multi-texture tapestry of calming tones. The intent is to help you relax, release stress and tension, and access a state of enhanced wellness.
Character Re-enactment – Abigail Adams
Tuesday, September 3rd, 2:30 pm
Janet Worthington provides an interpretation of important women throughout history in a Chautauqua-style performance. She stays in character for a question-answer period, and then answers questions as herself, offering her own scholarly reflections on their historical contributions. This performance will be of, Abigail Adams- 1st Lady and Wife of President John Adams. Janet has a Ph.D. in English Education from Florida State University and has been dramatizing characters from history and literature for over 25 years.
Craft & Chat: Stencil Creations
Tuesday, September 17th, 5:30-7:00pm
Get creative with your library friends as we learn new skills and techniques. In this session of Craft & Chat we will explore different stenciling techniques. Practicing with both textiles & flat surfaces like wood or paper, you will be able to create a set of tea towels as well as a small wooden sign or paper card. Refresh your home decor with your personal touches, or gift something truly special you made yourself. The possibilities and inspiration are never-ending with this craft!
Registration required, call (208) 472-2942 to register.
Rumi Night
Thursday, September 26th, 5:30pm
Are you someone who is unfamiliar with the poetry of Rumi? Or perhaps you are a longtime admirer of his work? Everyone is welcome to an evening on the courtyard of inspiration from this 13th-century Persian poet, philosopher, and Sufi mystic. Please join us for poetry, conversation, and Persian desserts with tea. And yes, anyone is welcome to bring a Rumi Poem to share in English or Persian.