Photo by Ron Burkett.
At 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 12, the Library in the Forest will be hosting an evening with Santa Claus. After a storytime that typically lasts about 45 minutes, parents and children will be able to visit and take pictures with him.
Santa is coming to town, and the Library in the Forest is making sure to celebrate with a wide selection of holiday-themed events.
“We offer more than 625 programs annually, and our holiday-themed events are very popular,” said Library in the Forest marketing manager Holly Turner.
On Tuesday, Dec. 12, at 6 p.m., the Vestavia library will be hosting an evening with the big guy himself. After a storytime that typically lasts about 45 minutes, parents and children will be able to visit and take pictures with him.
Turner said they will serve ham and turkey sandwiches, chips, yogurt and lemonade for participating families. Guests may also get to learn what Santa’s favorite cookie is, how the reindeer get their names or what toy prototypes Santa and his elves are working on.
On Dec. 15 at 3:30 p.m., Turner said the Children’s Department will be putting on a Christmas Special Trivia Contest and Movie. “We’ll give away prizes to the trivia winners and watch the crowd’s favorite Christmas special,” she said. This event is meant for second grade and older.
Turner added that the library’s This and That program on Wednesday afternoons, which is meant for grades 3-6, will also be Christmas themed. “One week, we will host a Christmas Theatre Challenge. Children can bring a Christmas tale to life using puppets and props,” she said. “Another week, we will have a Christmas craft corner.”
The library will be hosting events for teenagers, too, starting Dec. 5 with The Very Doctor Who Christmas. At 4 p.m., they will be playing two Christmas episodes of “Doctor Who,” and teens are encouraged to dress as their favorite character for a chance to win a prize.
“‘Doctor Who’ is popular among teenagers and previous ‘Doctor Who’ events have been well attended,” Turner said. This event is designed for grades 6-12.
Teens are encouraged to unleash their holiday creativity two weeks later while making wood slice ornaments Dec. 20 at 4 p.m.
“Teens draw or stencil on wood slices. Then, we will turn them into ornaments,” Turner said.
All art supplies and snacks are provided for participants, and Turner said the teens can use their imagination to make whatever ornaments they would like.
With these programs, Turner said, the library is more than a place for reading — it’s a place to help enhance lives.
“These programs encourage patrons of all ages to think about and experience an assortment of things that they might not others have exposure to,” she said. “I think the community appreciates the wide array of programs we offer and enjoy the community center feel the library offers.”
See the library’s full December events calendar at vestavialibrary.org.
