Summer Library Programs for All Ages: in person

Raymond Library with roses
This summer, the East Hartford Public Library has programs for all ages in a variety of formats! Programs will be offered in person, over Zoom, and in a hybrid arrangement (choose virtual or in-person). See below for our indoor and outdoor in-person programs. Please note that some indoor programs may require masks.
 
To view listings for hybrid/virtual programs, click here. For registration, and to view our events in calendar format, visit our online events calendar.
 
All Ages
Liberty Belles: Anne Pasquale's Living History Programs
Saturday, June 4, 1:00 - 2:00 PM
Inspired by her own grandmother’s tales, Anne Pasquale created a program based on the stories of America's female immigrants from many cultures. Anne invites you to join her, accompanied by the very talented musician/actor Keith Herron, as she dons the personas, sings the songs, tells the stories of many unsung heroines from every point of Liberty’s crown, and explores the cultural diversity and common heritage that makes us all one. This program celebrating the contributions of immigrants is presented with funding support from the East Hartford Town Council via the East Hartford Commission on Culture and Fine Arts. Register for a reminder.
 
Summer Art Journals
Thursday, June 16, 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Creatively capture your summer with a mixed-media art journal! Art journaling is the perfect outlet to document your summer. For tweens, teens, and adults. Please register.
 
Juneteenth Festival
Saturday, June 18, 11 AM - 3 PM
Celebrate Juneteenth on the Town Green! The library is a co-sponsor of the Town of East Hartford’s first Juneteenth festival. Drop by between 11 AM - 3 PM. In case of inclement weather, the event will be moved to Sunday, June 19.
 
Fairy Houses
Friday, June 24, 10:00–11:00 AM
Fairies have moved into the butterfly garden on the library lawn, and they need places to stay! Join us for this all-ages workshop to make fairy houses from natural materials to place in our butterfly garden or bring home. Please register. Rain date will be Friday, July 1. Registered participants will be notified in the event that inclement weather forces us to reschedule to the rain date.
 
East Hartford Summer Youth Festival Dance Program
Saturday, June 25, 10:30 - 11:30 AM
Meet us outside on the library lawn (weather-permitting) and learn more about musical theater dancing. Get your body moving! Dance teacher Matthew Guerrera will guide participants in basic musical theater skills and teach choreography for a musical theater number. Bring a water bottle and wear clothes you can move in! This free program is co-sponsored by the East Hartford Summer Youth Festival and East Hartford Public Library. Register with the East Hartford Summer Youth Festival at www.ehsyf.org for a reminder and weather updates. Drop-ins are welcome.
 
Nelson Bello Latin Jazz Quintet
Saturday, June 25, 1:00 - 2:00 PM
Join us for an afternoon of Latin Jazz with conguero and East Hartford resident Nelson Bello and his Latin Jazz Quintet.  Bello studied at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, the Hartford Conservatory and under Jackie McLean at The Artists Collective. Be sure to bring a chair for our lawn, however you might not sit down, because you'll be on your feet dancing to the hot Latin rhythms! This program celebrating the contributions of immigrants is presented with funding support from the East Hartford Town Council via the East Hartford Commission on Culture and Fine Arts. For all ages, register for a reminder. In the event of inclement weather, the program will be moved indoors.
 
Makerspace Open Hours
Fridays, July 15 - August 5, 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Curious about our Makerspace? Join us for Open Hours on Fridays from 9 AM - 1 PM from July 15 - August 5. Makerspace staff will be on hand to demonstrate our Makerspace technologies, including 3D printers, a Carvey desktop CNC machine, a Silhouette Cameo, and more. Puppet artist Rolande Duprey will also be on hand with drop-in puppet-making activities. For all ages, no registration required.
 
Meet the Museum!
Fridays: July 22 & August 19, 9 AM - 1 PM
Curious about the history of East Hartford? Visit the Farmers Market to see some of the artifacts from the library's museum collection and learn more about the rich history of East Hartford. You'll be able to see and, in some cases, even handle these historical objects. Suitable for all ages. No registration required. In the event of inclement weather, this program will be moved indoors.
 
Collaborative Community Art Puzzle
Fridays, July 15, July 29, August 12, August 26, 9 AM - 1 PM
We invite all ages to contribute to our collaborative community art puzzle. Stop by the library table at the farmer’s market to pick up a blank puzzle piece, and use your creativity to show your love for our community. Completed puzzle pieces will be assembled to display at the library. Please return completed puzzle pieces by August 31 to be included in the final work. In the event of inclement weather, this program will be held indoors in the Makerspace.
 
Summer Art Show @ the Selden Brewer House
Saturday, July 16, 1 - 4 PM
Join us at the Selden Brewer House for the first-ever library-sponsored summer art show! Enjoy the work of local artists on the Brewer House lawn. At 1:00 PM the Historical Society of East Hartford will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony to dedicate the rose garden, and from 2 - 4 PM members will be offering free tours of the Brewer House concurrent with the art show. Prizes for the art show will be awarded at 3:30 PM. For all ages, no registration required. For more information about how to participate as an artist, contact library director Sarah Morgan: smorgan@easthartfordct.gov. The Selden Brewer House is located at the intersection of Main and Naubuc Avenues in East Hartford. In the event of inclement weather, the event will be moved indoors to the Raymond Library.
 
Adults
Small Business Support Open Hours
Friday, June 24, 10:30 - 12:30
Are you thinking of taking the next step and opening your own small business? Are you in business already and interested in learning more about the resources available to you? Join us at the library for Small Business Support open hours. Learn about help available for both aspiring and established small business owners, and speak with representatives from SCORE and from the Connecticut River Valley Chamber of Commerce, which represents over 400 members in East Hartford Marlborough, and Glastonbury.
 
Register for a reminder, and to be notified of event updates, including featured partners. Walk-ins welcome! Small Business Support Open Hours are sponsored by the East Hartford Public Library, the Town of East Hartford Development Department, SCORE, and the Connecticut River Valley Chamber of Commerce.
 
Virtual/in person
Propel East Hartford Community Co-Design Sessions
Tuesday, July 19, 2:00 - 3:30 PM (virtual)
Wednesday, July 20, 6:30 - 8 PM (in person)
Friday, July 22, 10:00 - 11:30 AM (virtual)
Propel East Hartford is a stream of programs and services for people who want to make a difference in East Hartford. Since 2019, the library has offered social media training, leadership training, and opportunities for community connection and conversation via Propel East Hartford programs. What’s next? We’re looking for community members to join us for co-design sessions at which we’ll work together to shape our next phase of programs and services. Do you want to make a difference in East Hartford? We’d love to hear from you, regardless of whether you’ve participated in our prior programs. Choose the session that’s most convenient for your schedule. Sessions will be offered virtually and in person: choose the format you prefer. Additional sessions will be added if needed: if you’re interested in participating but aren’t available during the listed times/dates, please reach out to library director Sarah Kline Morgan: smorgan@easthartfordct.gov. Registration required.
 
Teens
Teen Book Club: Chat and Chew
Thursday, July 28, 6 - 7 PM
WAYR? What are you reading? Come chat with Ms. Kristine Emond, EHHS librarian, and Cathy Potter, EHPL Children’s and Teen librarian about the books you’re reading this summer. Bring a picnic dinner and a blanket to eat on the library lawn. We’ll provide water and dessert! Best suited for any teens entering grades 9 - 12. Register for a reminder.     
 
Diversity in STEM Camp
Monday - Thursday, August 8 - 12, 1 - 4 PM
Are you interested in math, medicine, technology, engineering, climate science, or other scientific or technical fields? Join us for four afternoons of STEM camp in August, free of charge! Camp hours are 1 - 4 PM. Sign up for one, two, three, or all four days, and hear from a diverse group of STEM professionals, including representatives from the medical, engineering, and scientific fields. Learn about careers, conduct hands-on activities, and get excited about a future in STEM! Diversity in STEM camp is presented in partnership with the Ga-Adangbe Association of Connecticut and is best suited for entering 7 - 12th graders. All are welcome. Registration is required.
 
Children & Families
Family Scavenger Hunts 
Join us for an indoor scavenger hunt! Pick up your scavenger list and head off to solve a mystery in the Children’s Department. Find all of the items, turn in your completed form, and enter to win one of the 3D printed items. Best suited for families with children ages 3 years and older. Each month will have a different theme.
 
Family Hokey Pokey Party
Tuesdays, June 7, 14, 21, & 28; July 12, 19, 26; August 2, 9, 16, 6:30 - 7:00 PM
Bring the kids to stretch, sing, dance, and explore music together! Meet outside on the lawn, weather permitting, for musical fun. Bring your own shakers or borrow one of ours. Best suited for children ages 2 - 6 and their grownups (young at heart). Siblings are welcome. Please register. If the program is canceled for inclement weather, we will update the events calendar and e-mail registered participants.
 
Drop-in Family Program: Bird Window Clings
Wednesday, June 8, 3 - 6 PM
Acadia National Park is home to over 300 species of birds throughout the year. Plenty of them are migratory birds–that means they travel. It’s great for us because it means we might see them on their way up north or down south, but dangerous for them because they can fly into windows! We’ll have materials available to make window clings to help make windows safer for birds. Best suited for ages 5 and up. Registration not required.
 
Summer Reading Kick-off
Thursday, June 9, 5 - 8 PM
Come celebrate the end of school and the start of summer! Sign up for summer reading, meet some community partners, and attend a concert performed by Flor Bromley. All ages.
 
2022 Summer Reading Kick-Off Concert: Fiesta with Flor
Thursday, June 9, 6 - 7 PM
Join us on the library lawn for a multicultural musical celebration! Get ready to move, sing, and have a great time with a collection of bilingual (English/Spanish) children’s songs presented by singer-songwriter and musician Flor Bromley and her band. Kids and families will join in the fun as they learn about different musical genres through dance, storytelling, and songs, traveling with Flor to the countries where the rhythms were born. This is not your typical children’s concert, it is a whole family fiesta! Bring chairs or a blanket to sit on. In the event of inclement weather, this concert will be moved indoors. Register for a reminder.
 
Drop-in Family Program: Mini Sketchbook
Wednesday, June 15, 3 - 6 PM
Here in Connecticut, Weir Farm was home to J. Alden Weir, an artist who did his work outside, painting right from what he was seeing in front of him! We’ll have materials available for you to make mini accordion-style sketchbooks of your own to have with you wherever you want to draw. Best suited for ages 6 and up. Registration not required.
 
Family Art Night
Wednesdays, June 22, July 20, and August 10, 6:00 - 7:00 PM
Come visit the library to create your own art. We’ll try a different material or technique each month. Please wear clothes you don’t mind getting a little messy, just in case. All ages are welcome. Families with young children will work together. Registration required.
 
Drop-in Family Program: Bug Hotels
Thursday, June 23, 3 - 6 PM
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail stretches from Georgia to Maine and you can see all different kinds of plants and wildlife traveling it. Did you know that the woods and swamps you see along the trail are better for bugs than lawns? We’ll have supplies available to make bug hotels to make sure endangered insects have somewhere to live! Best suited for ages 4 and up. Registration not required.
 
Drop-in Family Program: Words of Art
Tuesday, June 28, 3 - 6 PM
Words are powerful. In the memorial of Martin Luther King, Jr., located in Washington, D.C., many of his words are engraved into the wall of quotes. Which one(s) speak to you? We’ll have art materials to add artistic elements to preprinted quotes. Art can then be taken home to hand up somewhere special. Best suited for ages 6 and older. Registration not required.
 
Parachutes!
Tuesday, July 5, 6 - 7 PM
3…2..1..Drop! Come make a parachute from simple materials. Learn about the science of drag and see how slowly (or quickly) your parachute falls. Then practice your aim! Can you drop your parachute so it lands on the target? Best suited for ages 5 and up. Registration required.
 
Drop-in Family Program: Paper Flights
Wednesday, July 6, 3 - 6 PM
We’re celebrating the Tuskeegee Airmen by exploring flight. We’ll have materials out to make paper plans and copters! See what goes furthest, which fall slowest! Best suited for ages 5 and up. Registration not required.
 
Farmers Market Stories, Songs, and Crafts
Fridays, July 8 & 22, August 12 & 26, 10:30 - 11:30 AM
Stop by the Farmers Market for your fruits and veggies, and then join us under the tree for stories, songs, and crafts on July 8 & 22, and August 12 & 26. All ages are welcome, but the program is best suited for children ages 3 - 8 accompanied by caregivers. If you’d like, bring a blanket to sit on. On August 12, we’ll have a special session: Teddy Bear Picnic! We’re headed to the Great Smoky Mountains to celebrate bears! Listen to bear stories, sing bear songs, join a bear hunt, eat a bear snack, and make a bear craft. Best suited for ages 2 and up. Register for a reminder and updates due to weather.
 
Eruption!
Wednesday, July 13, 6 - 7 PM
Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park includes two of the most active volcanoes in the world! Come learn a little about what makes them erupt then make a mini volcano with us. Best suited for ages 6 and up. Registration required.
 
Drop-in Family Program: Shark Week!
Thursday, July 14, 3 - 6 PM
We love sharks, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo! Celebrate these creatures from the deep and test your knowledge. Make puppets, sun catchers, and more! Best suited for ages 3 and up. Registration not required.
 
DIY Checkers and Tournament
Tuesday, July 19, 6 - 7 PM
Did you know that Frederick Douglass liked to play checkers at his home, Cedar Hill, in the Anacostia neighborhood of Washington, D.C.? Come make your own checker board and then challenge friends and family to play! Supplies and instructions to make boards will be provided. Best suited for ages 6 and up. Registration encouraged.
 
Drop-in Family Program: Game Day
Thursday, July 21, 3 - 6 PM
Game on! Come play games at the library. Play familiar games: chess, checkers, Dominoes, Uno, Candyland, and more. Or try a new game: Headbandz, Dizios, Fairy Tale Fluxx, Sleeping Queens, and more. Play words with friends IRL with a giant Scrabble game. Play paper games or put puzzles together. Challenge a librarian to a round of fun! For all ages. Registration not required.
 
Drop-in Family Program: Dino Dough
Tuesday, July 26, 3 - 6 PM
Dinosaurs roamed the earth and left behind trace fossils: footprints of where they traveled! Make trace fossils of your own by making salt dough (flour, salt, water) and pressing plants or dino feet into the dough. Take the dough home, let it dry, and have fun hiding and discovering your “fossils.” Best suited for ages 3 and up. Registration not required.
 
Fossil Making
Wednesday, July 27, 6 - 7 PM
Dinosaur National Monument preserves the bones of some of the most famous dinosaurs: Allosaurus, Apatosaurus, Diplodocus, and Stegosaurus! Learn a little bit about fossils and make some with us. (You can also see how your feet measure up to those of our local dinosaurs!) Registration required.
 
Family Cooking with Lindsey
Thursday, June 30, July 28, and August 18, 4 - 5 PM
What’s cooking? Gather at the library with Lindsey from ShopRite to make something together. Learn about healthy foods and cooking tips & tricks. At this program, we’ll make healthy snacks and more that are easy to assemble, delicious to eat, and budget-friendly. Best suited for families with children ages 6 - 12 years old. Registration required.
 
Geysers
Wednesday, August 3, 6 - 7 PM
Yellowstone is the oldest National Park. It is huge and has lots of things to see! One of the most famous is a geyser called Old Faithful. Come learn about what makes geysers go, and make some with us. Please wear clothes you don’t mind getting a little messy, just in case! Registration required.
 
Drop-in Family Program: Boats that Float
Thursday, August 4, 3 - 6 PM
Boating on Yellowstone Lake in Yellowstone National Park can be dangerous, even in the summer! The water is cold and the waves can reach 3 - 5 feet. Yikes! You’ll need a boat that floats. Can you make one? We’ll supply the materials and a small lake to test your boat. Best suited for ages 5 and up. Registration not required.
 
Drop-in LEGO Junior Maker Family Build
Thursday, August 11, 3 - 6 PM
Come and build with us! Design your ideal RV, campsite, or vacation spot. We’ll have Duplo blocks for younger kids and regular LEGO bricks for older kids! Bricks will stay at the library but final designs will be put on display for everyone to see. Best suited for ages 2 and up. Registration not required.
 
Drop-in Family Program: Batty at Boyden Caverns
Tuesday, August 16, 3 - 6 PM
Bats love the caves at King Canyon National Park! In the dark, they use echolocation to catch their dinner and navigate the caves. Come make a bat and see if it will fly! Best suited for ages 5 and up. Registration not required.
 
Drop-in Family Program: Constellation Viewers
Wednesday, August 17, 3 - 6 PM
It’s hard to see the stars here with so much light even at night, but sometimes it helps to know what we’re looking for! We’ll have materials available to make constellation viewers so you can see the constellations anytime. Best suited for ages 5 and up. Registration not required.
 
Drop-in Family Program: Jumping Frogs
Tuesday, August 23, 3 - 6 PM
El Yunque is the only rainforest in the National Forests. It’s one of the smallest but home to possibly the most wildlife, including a loud little frog called coqui. We’ll have materials available to make your own paper folded jumping frogs. Best suited for ages 5 and up. Registration not required.
 
The Raymond Library is located at 840 Main St., East Hartford. For more information about library programs and services, visit our website: www.easthartfordct.gov/library