Here are a few highlights from Summer 2025 at RDPL!
Little Sprouts Club
This summer RDPL hosted the Little Sprouts Club, a STEAM-centered gardening program for families to learn about plants, pollinators, and permaculture! Families listened to silly and touching stories, participated in fun, hands-on activities, and got their hands dirty while gardening. We grew zucchini squash, carrots, lettuce, and lots of beautiful flowers. A HUGE thank you to ReThink Red Deer, opens a new window for collaborating with us and letting us use their gardening space for this program!
Teen Book Boxes
Teen Summer Reading Book Boxes were once again a big success! Teens 13-18 signed up to receive a popular teen title along with some bookish goodies that were all theirs to keep. We were so excited that all were claimed and picked up across the branches.
Parade Day!
Library staff (including Katja, of course) had such a blast taking part in the Westerner Days parade! It’s always one of our favourite days of the year, and the friendly shouts from the crowd always make us feel extra special!
Social Committee Fun!
Here's a little glimpse into some of the fun we have outside of work! Inspired by Trish and Deb’s program they hosted for the public back in May, the RDPL Social Committee hosted a Brick Painting Night for staff to have a chance at painting their favourite book covers!
Dog on the Job
We offered a Sit, Stay and Read with Katja program in July at the Dawe, Downtown, and Timberlands Branches, where 51 books were read to Katja by enthusiastic readers in 23 reading sessions.
Team Katja was also booked for a number of outreach visits in the summer and she visited Montessori Classics in July with the Pawsitive Impact, opens a new window: Storytime for Little Learners program and MAG camp with the Service Dogs 101: Storytime for Little Learners where she also was an enthusiastic co-painter (yogurt was involved) in the painting activity in August. Katja will go back in a heartbeat; she believes now that she was born to be a painter!
Summer Reading Fun!
The 2025 Kids' Summer Reading Club was a tremendous success, engaging more than 2,100 children and families across Red Deer through 77 programs and 21 outreach events.
From the high-energy Astronaut Onboarding Kick-Off Party that drew over 400 participants to well-loved weekly storytimes, Book Bike adventures, and family fun in local parks, the program inspired kids to read, explore, and connect with the library all summer long. With over 1,200 mission logs distributed and enthusiastic participation in themed events like Red Hot Robotics and Sit, Stay, Read with Katja, this year’s club built excitement around reading while strengthening community connections. The creativity and dedication of our SRC coordinators, along with the support of staff and community partners, made this summer one of our most vibrant seasons yet.
We also had many teen and adult participants in our Summer Reading Bingo challenges, and six lucky winners (three teens and three adults) took home SWEET prizes!
Strong, Fancy and Free Bike Ride
In July, Red Deer proudly retained its title as the Most Active Community in Alberta as part of the ParticipACTION Community Challenge — and the Fancy Women Bike Ride was right there to keep the momentum going!
Our Strong, Fancy and Free ride brought together 18 participants for a vibrant, empowering group ride supported by two volunteer bicycle mechanics from the Red Deer Association for Bicycle Commuting. Riders explored scenic new routes, celebrated active transportation and personal style, and connected with others in a joyful and inclusive atmosphere.
Thanks to ParticipACTION grant funding, this ride — along with our upcoming September edition — was made possible, helping us continue to build a visible and confident cycling culture in our community. With sunshine, smiles, and style, this July ride was a true highlight of the summer.
Cozy Evenings Club
This summer, our Cozy Evenings programs brought warmth and creativity to the Dawe Branch, even in the middle of July and August! In July, participants celebrated Christmas in July by crafting beautiful, reusable gift bags—an early start to the gift-giving season and a fun way to combine sustainability with holiday spirit.
In August, the group enjoyed a special master class on creating motanki, traditional Ukrainian dolls believed to bring luck and prosperity. Both evenings offered participants not only new skills, but also meaningful connections and a shared appreciation of Ukrainian traditions and community spirit.
Patio Blooms
This summer, the Dawe Branch patio blossomed into a welcoming retreat for both library members and staff. With comfortable seating and vibrant blooms, it offered a perfect spot to read, relax, or simply enjoy the sunshine. We experimented with new flowers this year – nasturtiums – and they thrived beautifully, adding cheerful colour to the space. Thanks to the RDPL Seed Library, many of our flowers were grown from seed, showcasing how a little community-supported gardening can brighten our library spaces.
First Thursday in the Park
The First Thursday concert series continued through the summer and had a concert in City Hall Park in July as the Parkland Dixielanders had everyone in the park basking in the sun and sounds.
Red Deer Filipino Music and Street Food Festival
Elisa, Saraf, and Deb at the Red Deer Filipino Music and Street Food Festival. We were able to attend Bayanihan Family Day on the Sunday of this weekend event. It was a good fit for storytimes and puppets and sharing with everyone what programs and services we have at the Library. Sam and Shelley Odishaw were there too and met everyone who came by the tent until the rain came down at the end of the day.
Jim Agecoutay Memorial J.A.M.
Deb and Angelica attended the Jim Agecoutay Memorial J.A.M. hosted by Red Deer Native Friendship Society and held at Fort Normandeau on Saturday, August 16 from 12 until 4 pm. We had great conversations with people in attendance and promoted Library programs and services. We also read stories and performed puppet shows for families.
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