June 21-August 23, 2024: Registration for the 2024 Summer Reading Program is now open! Readers of all ages-adults, teens, children and families-can register online via the Beanstack website or download the Beanstack app onto a smart device. Children are challenged to read 20 (teens and adults for 30) minutes a day to earn digital badges, reading rewards, brags tags and/or raffle tickets. Participants are also invited to complete activities to earn badges and raffle tickets towards prizes. Join us for a kick off celebration on June 21 with Bryson Lang the Juggling Comedian and a Bubble Dance Party on the front lawn. You can also pick up a map for the 4th annual Storywalk (TM) downtown.
Visit https://libguides.ridgefieldlibrary.org/SRP/home for more information about the 2024 Summer Reading Program including booklists, activities, programs and events for all ages. Summer Reading is made possible by the generous support of the Friends of the Ridgefield Library.
Tuesday, July 9th @ 1:00pm: The Ridgefield Commission on Aging and the Ridgefield Library will continue their monthly Senior Voices series with a special look at the programs and services available at the Library for Ridgefield seniors. Library Director Brenda McKinley and Head of Adult Services Rita Covelli will provide an overview of the wealth of resources available at the Library, with a closer look at services in the Donofrio Family Technology Center presented by Technology/Innovation Librarian Kathy Pickle, and a review of online offerings by Senior Adult Services Librarian Christie Mitchell. There will be time for Q & A after the presentation. Senior Voices is a free event and hybrid program. Individuals may attend in person or register to attend via Zoom through the Library. Participants are invited to enjoy light refreshments and conversation following the program.
This is a hybrid program which can be attended in person or as a webinar.
Tuesday, July 2nd @ 4:00pm: Teens who are rising grades 6-12 are invited to meet up in front of the Library, then go across the street to Ballard Park to clean up any trash, dropped items, etc. We will provide trash bags and gloves. Teens will get volunteer hours for attending this program.
Please wear closed-toed shoes, and, if it is sunny, sunscreen and a hat. We also encourage you to bring a water bottle.
Click here for more information and to register.
Monday, July 1st from 11:00am to 3:00pm: Lyme Connection, an organization that’s served Ridgefield for over 20 years, will be in the Main Lobby of the Library to give out Tick Kits – and lots of info about tick-borne illnesses. Learn how to enjoy all the great outdoor activities Ridgefield has to offer, while keeping yourself and your family safe from tick-borne disease!
Wednesday, June 26th @ 6:00pm: Families with children of all ages are invited to a comedy magic show! Ed Popielarczyk is a professional magician, balloon sculptor, flea circus ringmaster and storyteller who has been entertaining children and family audiences for over thirty years. His magic show is a comedy show that uses lots of audience participation. YOU are the stars of the show because you help to make the magic happen. Registration is encouraged but drop-ins are welcome as space permits.
This activity is part of the Ridgefield Library’s 2024 Summer Reading Program: Adventure Begins at Your Library and is sponsored by the Friends of the Ridgefield Library.
Sunday, June 16th @ 2:00pm: The powerhouse duo of Amy Gallatin and renowned resophonic guitarist Roger Williams joined forces a few years ago to explore their mutual love of country standards, served up with an acoustic treatment in the bluegrass vein. The result is a toe-tapping blend of heartfelt vocals, soaring harmonies and red-hot picking, traditional yet modern and distinct.
Americana radio host Ed McKeon says: “Amy’s vocals, with the power and tone of her voice, are tempered by Roger’s baritone which has been sanded smooth by cigarettes and, shall we say, maturity. The song selections are perfect, the harmonies glorious, the sentiments wonderfully maudlin (like any good old country song).”
The two are enhanced by mandolin and vocals from Roger’s son, Berklee College of Music student JD, who–in the time-honored tradition of musical consanguinity–complements his father’s style perfectly, and by veteran bassist Bob Dick, formerly with the award-winning bluegrass band Front Range.
The Ridgefield Folk Concert Series is made possible by the generous support of the Friends of the Ridgefield Library.
Click here to register and for more information.
Please note: The Library is closed Sundays in the summer from June 16th through September 1st. The Library’s Lower Level Programs Rooms will be open on June 16th for the Ridgefield Folk Concert, but the rest of the building will be closed.
June 12th @ 7:00pm: Join Ridgefield Conservation Commission commissioners Matt Sharp and Jim Liptack for a discussion of the over 55 miles of hikes that are available on Town open space. Learn how best to prepare and what to bring for a day hike as well as key safety tips. In addition, they will point out top hikes and sights for both experienced and beginning walkers. An updated Ridgefield walk book should be available coincident with the lecture as well as online.
Matt has planned and led backpacking trips to the Adirondacks, Appalachian Trail CT & NY, Yosemite, John Muir Trail, High Sierra Trail Sequoia/ Mt. Whitney, Teton Crest Trail, Rocky Mountain National Park and North Cascade National Park. In 2019, Matt became a Trail Maintainer for the CT Appalachian Trail.
Jim has been actively working with the Appalachian Mountain Club, as trail crew since 1978 and trail section manager since 1984. He has been a trail maintainer for the Connecticut Forest and Parks Association since 1984. For the last ten years, he has also been the overseer of trails for the Connecticut Appalachian Mountain Club, scheduling and overseeing all maintenance and construction on the trails.
Sunday, June 9th @ 2:00pm: Originally from Tennessee, now at home in New York’s Hudson Valley, Kate Prascher is a songwriter with a haunting, clear sound and vision. In her upcoming 2024 album, Prascher says the quiet parts loud and loud parts quietly. She evokes American folk tradition and calls it forward. Expect to hear new songs from a voice that has been described as having an “intangible vintage feel.”
The Ridgefield Folk Concert Series is made possible through the generous support of the Friends of the Ridgefield Library.