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Visit from astronaut among summer fun at Newmarket library

Harry Potter movie marathon, storywalk, sock drive, summer reading club among activities at Newmarket Public Library
2020 09 12 Newmarket library DK
Newmarket Public Library on Park Avenue. File photo/NewmarketToday

Sunny days put a smile on your face, and so will all the great events Newmarket Public Library has planned for the summer. Some highlights include:

Storywalk is a fun reading experience for kids and families
NPL and the Newmarket Downtown BIA invite families to a TD Summer Reading Club StorywalkÒ in July to read I Am Scary by Elise Gravel. Ask for a map at NPL from Customer Service or the Children’s and Adult Services information desks. Then use the map to stroll along Main Street reading the story page by page in the windows of participating downtown businesses. Scan a QR code on each page to hear the story. Finish the walk at the Library and enter a ballot in Children’s Services for a chance to win passes for a VR gaming experience at Virtual Sting in the Upper Canada Mall. Have fun reading and exploring downtown Newmarket! Get the map online

A visit with Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield
Chris Hadfield is this summer’s SuperSTAR Storyteller in a special online visit Tues., July 19 from 4:30 to 5 p.m. NPL is hosting a viewing party for everyone 6 years and up. Arrive early, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., for out of this world activities about astronomy. Register for this event

Harry Potter movie marathon for wizards and muggles
Harry Potter is coming to NPL for a July 26 to 29 movie marathon full of magic and prizes! Take in a movie, enjoy free popcorn and refreshments, and fill out a ballot for a chance to win a prize! You can also go on Horcrux Hunt by picking up a checklist of the Horcruxes hidden around NPL from the Children’s or Adult Services Information Desks. Find them all, complete your checklist and hand it in for a chance to win a prize! See movie showtimes

NPL’s sock drive for the LOFT Crosslinks Street Outreach van
As a tie-in to NPL’s Harry Potter Movie Marathon in July, we’re holding a sock drive to benefit the LOFT Crosslinks Street Outreach Van. Drop off a new pair of socks at the Library’s Customer Service Desk on the main floor from June 21 to July 29, 2022. For each pair of socks donated you’ll receive a ballot for a prize draw.

TD Summer Reading Club keeps children reading through the summer
Kids 3 to 5 and 6 to 12 can explore magical worlds of fantasy, myths and legends, log the books they read, earn badges, and receive a certificate for participating. They’ll also get a rewards package at the end of the summer when the club ends. And they can join fun reading club events taking place at NPL during the summer. Registration is online

Happily Ever After programs combine fairytales with craft making
Each Wednesday in August children will have an opportunity to enjoy a program created around a fairy tale, myth or legend. They’ll get to make their own dancing shadow puppet, dragon craft, fantasy landscape, as well as plant real beans in a program inspired by Jack and the Beanstalk. Register for these programs

Bedtime Storytime at the Riverwalk Commons Story Pod
Bring the kids outside for a free evening storytime in downtown Newmarket on Wednesdays July 6 to 27, from 6:30 to 7 p.m. Staff from NPL’S Children’s Services will be on hand for an interactive outing kids will enjoy, with stories, sing-along songs, and rhymes.

For more upcoming summer programs check the Programs and Activities calendar on the homepage of the library’s website.

Lorne Chase is the marketing and communications coordinator at Newmarket Public Library. Visit the library’s website.