Story Time at Austin Park | Thursdays, August 1 + 8 at 10:30 AM | Grab a blanket or lawn chair and join us for story time at Austin Park (near the Jordan Street parking lot) as we celebrate the outdoors, sing songs, and pop bubbles. Location: Austin Park. For ages 18 months – 5 years. Story Time will move inside at the library during inclement weather.
Family Read Aloud Book Club: Summer Session | Thursday, August 1 at 6:00 PM | Pick up your copy of Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate and read aloud as a family this summer. Join us for a pizza party featuring a book discussion and activity inspired by the story. Registration required. For families with at least one child going into 1st or 2nd grade.
The REV Theatre at Austin Park | Friday, August 2 at 10:30 AM | Location: Austin Park (near the Jordan Street parking lot) | Grab your picnic blankets and lawn chairs and join us at Austin Park’s for a performance of The Boy Who Cried Wolf. For ages 5 – 10.
Intro to Birding Nature Hike @ Hinchcliff Preserve | Saturday, August 3 at 10:00 AM | The Hinchcliff Preserve is a great place to learn the basics of birding! This preserve provides relatively easy opportunities for observing a variety of birds in different habitats, and also contains a beautiful vista of Skaneateles Lake.
Hike length: 1.5 miles. Registration required. For teens & adults
(Rain date Sunday, August 4)
Drop-in Art | Monday, August 5 at 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Drop-in at the library to make a creation based on Paul Klee in August. For ages 8 – 12.
Book Buddies | Monday, August 5 from 4:30 – 6:30 PM | This mentorship program gives children practice reading aloud during the summer months. Children entering 1st and 2nd grades can sign up for 20 minute time slots to read with their buddy while adults relax in the “waiting room.” Your child will choose a book to read aloud to their buddy in order to help gain confidence and fluency. Then, the buddy will read aloud from one of their favorite books to encourage a love of stories. Registration required. For kids entering 1st and 2nd grade.
Messy Play |Tuesday, August 6 at 10:30 AM | Join us in the library’s yard for open-ended, child-led playtime. Children will explore a simple mud kitchen, clay sculptures, and bubble blowing. Adults may want to bring a lawn chair to relax as children play. Please wear clothes and shoes that can get dirty. In case of inclement weather, Messy Play will be canceled. No registration. For ages 3 – 7.
Taylor Swift Dance Party | Tuesday, August 6 at 6:30 PM |Shake it off with us at the library! Stations for making your own microphone, Taylor temporary tattoos, friendship bracelets, and a photo booth will be set up around the dance floor. Pizza and snacks will be provided. No registration. For families.
Industrial History of Auburn presented by Cayuga Museum of History and Art | Wednesday, August 7 at 2 PM |The Auburn area and the wider Cayuga County have had a rich industrial history that dates back to the late eighteenth century. This presentation will outline this history chronologically, while touching on specific companies whose impacts are still felt in our area today. Molly Dano, curatorial intern at the Cayuga Museum of History and Art will explore how industry impacted the local community – throughout the early days of industrial development, the decline in the late-twentieth century, and the more recent resurgence.
Graphic Novel Book Club | Thursday, August 8 at 4:00 PM | Our August book is Wildfire by Breena Bard. Every month, we’ll read a graphic novel and then get together at the library to chat about the book, play games, and flex our creative brains. No registration. Ages 8 – 12.
The MOST at the Library | Thursday, August 8 at 5:30 PM |Planes, trains, and submarines – oh my! Explore the many solutions that humans have engineered to get to their next adventure, from air travel to underwater exploration. Discover more about concepts like aerodynamics, buoyancy, and beyond in this exciting live science demonstration! No registration. For ages 8 – 12.
Symphony of Serenity: Gentle Yoga with Live Music | Thursday, August 8 at 7:00 PM | Join us for an evening of peaceful movement and beautiful music. Experience the ultimate relaxation – the soothing practice of gentle yoga, led by Eva Pajak from Sky Yoga, set to enchanting live music performed by musicians from the Syracuse Orchestra. Registration required.
Skaneateles the Beautiful: A Postcard History | Friday, August 9 at 9:30 AM
Take a fascinating journey through the history of Skaneateles with local historian Kihm Winship. Explore the town’s past through vintage postcards, each one revealing a unique story and a glimpse into the community’s evolution. Join us for an engaging session filled with local history and charming imagery that captures the essence of Skaneateles across the ages.
Play Day at Amberations | Friday, August 9 from 10:30 – 11:30 AM | Location: Amberations, 2345 Amber Road, Marietta, NY 13110 | If you like catching frogs, feeding a friendly donkey, and getting your toes wet in a flowing stream, then you’ll love play time at Amberations! Join your library friends for a casual morning exploring Amberations, playing, and socializing. No registrations. For ages 2 – 7 with a caregiver.
My Water? With Young Naturalists | Saturday, August 10 at 1:00 PM | Dive into watershed and pollution with an interactive lesson led by Young Naturalists from ESF. No registration. For ages 8 – 12.
Bluebird Music at the Library | Monday, August 12 at 10:30 – 11:15 AM | Children and caregivers will sing, dance, and play instruments at this music class for our youngest patrons. Registration required. For babies – age 5 with an adult.
Writer’s Club with Karen Hempson | Monday, August 12 – Friday, August 16
from 1:00 – 2:30 PM |This week-long writing workshop with local author, Karen Hempson, will guide kids in brainstorming, writing, and editing their own stories. Kids must be able to attend all sessions. Registration required. Ages 8 – 12. Limit 10
Fairy or Gnome Houses | Tuesday, August 13 at 10:30 AM | Build your own fairy, gnome, or bug house in the library’s garden using natural materials. Materials will be provided, but feel free to bring any sticks, leaves, rocks, etc. from home. For ages 3-7.
Library Board Meeting | Tuesday, August 13 at 6:30 PM: The Library Board is made up of community members who volunteer their time and skills to further the mission of the library. All meetings are open, and the public is welcome to attend.
Yoga Story Time at Austin Park | Thursday, August 15 10:30 AM | Grab your yoga mat, and a blanket or lawn chair to join us for story time at Austin Park (near the Jordan Street parking lot) as we celebrate the outdoors, sing songs, and learn yoga with Ms. Colleen from BeLive Yoga. Location: Austin Park. For ages 18 months – 5 years. Story Time will move inside at the library during inclement weather.
Rain Gardens: One Solution to Stormwater Pollution and Pollinator Protection | Thursday, August 15 at 6:00 PM | Rain gardens help slow the flow of stormwater, often carrying pollutants, so that it can filter and help to protect water quality, including Skaneateles Lake, the drinking water source for Syracuse and other communities. Join us to learn more about how to install a rain garden on your property, doing your part to create a “sponge” to soak up polluted water in the watershed.
Presented in Partnership with: Cornell Cooperative Extension Onondaga with support from the City of Syracuse, Go Native! perennials, SUNY ESF Restoration Science Center, Skaneateles Library and the Skaneateles Lake Association
Morning Book Club: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe | Monday, August 19 at 10:30 AM | This month we’re reading Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz. Meetings are casual and everyone is welcome.Copies of the book are available at the libraryParticipants have the option to join the discussion either in-person at the library or virtually via Zoom. For adults.
Moon Walk | Monday, August 19 at 7:45 – 8:45 PM |Join us for a neighborhood walk to observe August’s Green Corn Moon, the time of year when corn ripens. First, we’ll decorate a corn husk for a display at the library, pop popcorn, and then head out into the sunset for a 20-minute neighborhood walk to look for the moon. No registration. All ages.
Cookbook Club: Farmers Market Finds | Wednesday, August 21 at 6:00 PM | All are welcome! Bring a prepared dish to share based on the month’s theme and the cookbook/recipe that inspired the dish. Everyone will have a chance to sample dishes from an assortment of cookbooks while only having to prepare one dish. Make sure you come hungry! Registration is requested so that we know how many places to set at the table! For adults.
Off to Preschool! Story Time | Thursday, August 22 at 10:30 – 11:30 AM: Join us for a preschool celebration! We’ll read books, sing songs, play and have a sweet treat during this special story time. No registration. For kids entering preschool in the fall (siblings are always welcome, too!).
Evening Book Club: Canary Girls | Wednesday, August 28 at 6:30 PM | This month we’re reading Canary Girls by Jennifer Chiaverini. Copies of the book are available at the library. Participants have the option to join the discussion either in-person at the library or virtually via Zoom.
Guitar Concert: Michael Hardy | Thursday, August 29 at 7:30 PM | Born in Columbus, GA, Michael Hardy learned to play popular music from his mother during his teen years. His interest soon turned to the classical guitar, and he became the first person to graduate with a degree in guitar performance from Columbus State University. He earned his Master of Music degree from The University of Texas and a Graduate Performance Diploma from The Peabody Conservatory. Michael was awarded his Doctorate of Musical Arts at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY. Currently, Michael is Instructor of Guitar at Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania. He is also an owner and teacher at Fret & Bow Music Academy in Rochester, NY.
Weekly Programs:
Baby Bounce & Rhyme | Wednesdays at 9:15 AM: Bond with your baby during this program featuring nursery rhymes, books, movement and fingerplays, followed by playtime. For babies up to 18 months.
Read, Sing, Play Story Time | Wednesdays at 10:30 AM: Can’t sit still? No problem! Join us for stories, songs and movement. For ages 18 months – 4 years.
Mah Jongg Open Play | Fridays in August from 1:00 – 3:00 PM: Join other experienced Mah Jongg players in some friendly games at the library. Gaming sets will be available or bring your own!
