Here are a few highlights from September 2024 at RDPL!
Celebrating Alberta Culture Days!
For Alberta Culture Days' Month of the Artist, Red Deer Public Library presented four signature events: The Local Author Fair, Lindy Hop Story Dance Workshop, Writing Workshop with Leslie Greentree, and the Mad Hatter Afternoon Tea Party. These programs were designed to showcase the literary and artistic talents in Alberta, offering the community an opportunity to engage directly with creators. By participating, attendees could immerse themselves in a narrative that celebrates dance and literature. Sixteen Alberta artists had an opportunity to showcase their talents in September by facilitating these programs in partnership with the library. These programs were made possible thanks to the Government of Alberta's Alberta Culture Days Host Celebration Site grant.
Our Alberta Culture Days events had a remarkable impact on our community, bringing together people of all ages to celebrate and explore local culture through interactive, family-friendly activities. Read on to hear all about these events!
Local Author Fair
The Local Author Fair provided a platform for eleven local writers to showcase their work, fostering a sense of pride in our region’s creative talent. Community members had the opportunity to connect personally with authors, explore diverse genres, and gain insight into the creative process. This event helped build awareness of local literature and support our community’s writers, encouraging aspiring authors and readers alike.
Writing Workshop with Leslie Greentree
Award-winning author Leslie Greentree presented an engaging writing workshop for authors in Alberta. Instruction was paired with interactive activities that helped participants think critically about writing they were already working on, or on works that were just in the planning stage. Many participants asked for future workshops on a variety of topics.
Mad Hatter Afternoon Tea Party
Our Mad Hatter Afternoon Tea Party captivated families with its whimsical, Alice in Wonderland-inspired theme. The event featured themed activities, tea, and treats, creating an engaging and playful atmosphere for attendees. This gathering provided a space for community members and Readers’ Theatre actors to bond over beloved classic book, celebrate imagination, and connect with one another in a relaxed, festive setting. Parents expressed their appreciation for this unique event, which offered a joyful escape from daily routines and encouraged creative play.
Lindy Hop Dance Workshop
Finally, the Lindy Hop Story dancing workshop brought a vibrant burst of energy, connecting our community to the spirit and joy of this classic dance style. Participants enjoyed live demonstrations, beginner lessons, and an opportunity to join in the dance. The Lindy Hop experience highlighted cultural diversity and history, giving participants a chance to learn about and appreciate a dance form with rich roots while moving, laughing, and enjoying music together.
Collectively, these events enriched our community by fostering a sense of unity, supporting local culture, and encouraging creativity and engagement across generations.
Fancy Women Bike Ride: Tweed and Tassel Tour
We were so lucky with the weather when we took fancy bike riders on a co-ed bike ride to downtown Red Deer where the ride participants could enjoy a live music concert at Capstone, visiting the Garlic Market and the Local Author Fair. It has been so great to lead these bike rides in the summer and enjoy Red Deer’s trails in style!
Adult Literacy Program Highlights
In September, the Adult Literacy Program started 8 (eight) English language learning classes and an Introduction to Computers Digital Skills class. These classes are helping to meet the learning needs of 123 learners with different skill levels.
In September, the Adult Literacy Program registered 18 new tutors and 24 new learners. The Program matched 33 pairs. A huge thank you to all our volunteers for stepping in and taking new learners to reduce a very long waitlist.
Travel Memories
Our guest speaker, Bob, presented a unique and enjoyable presentation on his trip to Northern Thailand and his time volunteering at an Elephant sanctuary. We all loved his pictures of the elephants! He went on a trip that showed all of us that helping others can also be a very memorable experience.
Teen Café
We launched our new program, Teen Café, which takes place on select Tuesdays. We will have rotating activities including crafts, anime, and film screenings. We were delighted to welcome 17 teens to drop in and make buttons at the inaugural session.
We continued the trend during Anime Club with teens returning to enjoy episodes of their favourite Anime shows and some popcorn. We are excited to see that teens are keen on this program and look forward to our upcoming activities!
Books & Bannock Book Club
Our first meeting of the Books & Bannock Book Club, partnering with RDNFS (Red Deer Native Friendship Society), was a big success! We had 15 in attendance and enjoyed a great discussion of Cherie Dimaline’s VENCo, as well as some very tasty bannock and jam, provided by the RDNFS!
STEAM Science: Family Edition, featuring LEGO!
Our first Family STEAM program of the year featured Lego ziplines and Lego balloon-powered cars. Families really enjoyed working together to problem solve how to build the most successful “vehicle” for a zipline, test it out, and then modify it to try again. The kids were having so much fun that multiple families who were just at the library to find books decided to join us too!
Cree Circle Storytime
Tân'si! Attendance is starting to grow for our first ever Cree Circle Storytime, with special guest Elder, Linda Ophus. Adults and children are learning Cree language together while also gaining a better understanding of Cree culture. We start with a welcome song, read or hear a story, talk about the words in the story, and then play a game and/or do a craft, all while practicing and learning Cree words.
Cuentos y Cantos: Spanish Storytime
We presented a Spanish language storytime in September. Though only a few families joined us, they thoroughly enjoyed the wonderfully planned and presented storytime!
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