'Tis the season for holiday-themed events for kids, teens, and adults!
FOR ALL AGES
What Do the Holidays Mean to You?
Sunday, December 1 - Wednesday, January 1 at all Glendale Public Library locations.
Stop by and share your love of the festive season with the Glendale Public Library! Decorate a paper symbol of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa to show what the holidays mean to you or express a holiday wish. Give the symbol to our staff so we can decorate an area of each library with everyone's holiday cheer. All ages are welcome to participate!
Live @ the Library: Women in Song Present a Holiday Kaleidoscope.
Monday, December 9, 6:30-7:30 PM. Main Library Auditorium.
Celebrate the season and come listen to holiday music sung by ProMusica Arizona’s “Women in Song.” You’ll hear popular favorites, including “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” “Rudolph, the Red-nosed Reindeer,” “Winter Wonderland,” “Silent Night,” “The First Noel” and more! This hand-selected women’s ensemble sings in four-part harmony with Jeff Yoder’s masterful playing and improvisation at the keyboard and ProMusica’s Artistic Director, Patti Graetz, conducting.
Main Library Coffeehouse: Holiday Concert.
Thursday, December 12, 6:30-7:30 PM. Main Library Auditorium.
Enjoy live acoustic music performed by local musicians. This month, numerous local musicians take the stage to entertain the audience with sing-along holiday favorites. Please note that performers for this event are scheduled in advance.
A Sunday Afternoon of Music: Christmas with the Caribbean Cruisers.
Sunday, December 15, 2-4 PM. Main Library Auditorium.
The Caribbean Cruisers present a tropical musical experience combining traditional island rhythms with your favorite Christmas songs and carols. Come island-hopping as we combine rhythms from Trinidad, Jamaica and the Bahamas to create new versions of traditional holiday favorites mixed with our favorite Caribbean songs and music.
Big Band Grandstand Holiday Concert.
Monday, December 16, 6-7:15 PM. Foothills Library Roadrunner Room.
Enjoy a special performance of swinging popular standards and holiday favorites performed by Big Band Grandstand!
Live @ the Library: Suite Sounds - A Driftwood Christmas with The Duke.
Thursday, December 19, 6:30-7:30 PM. Main Library Auditorium.
Join Driftwood Quintet to celebrate the Christmas season with the swingin’ hits of two jazz greats. Driftwood collaborates with a jazz rhythm trio to showcase Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s jazz-fueled reimaginings of two widely popular classical standards: Edvard Grieg’s
Peer Gynt Suite (widely known for the movement "In the Hall of the Mountain King") and Tchaikovsky’s
Nutcracker Suite. Be there or be square! This event is funded by a City of Glendale Performing Arts Grant.
FOR ADULTS
Artistry Workshop: Ribbon Holiday Decoration.
Monday, December 2, 6-7:30 PM. Main Library Large Meeting Room.
Make a beautiful holiday decoration using ribbon, Scrabble tiles and other items.
Register for Artistry Workshop: Ribbon Holiday Decoration
Gentle Reads Book Discussion Group: In Person or Virtually.
Wednesday, December 4, 10-11:30 AM. Foothills Library Hummingbird Room.
Join us on the first Wednesday of every month to discuss emotionally uplifting and inspirational fiction. This month's selection is
Letters from Father Christmas by JRR Tolkien. If you are interested in attending this meeting virtually, please register with an email address so the event host can contact you with a Zoom invite.
Register for Gentle Reads
DIY for Adults: Nerdy Wreaths.
Thursday, December 5, 6-7:30 PM (Session 1) & Saturday, December 21, 2-3:30 PM (Session 2). Heroes Regional Park Library Yucca Room.
Dive into the vibrant world of pop culture and craft your own unique wreath in this hands-on workshop. For adults aged 18 and up. All materials will be provided.
Register for Session 1 (The Hobbit)
Register for Session 2 (Harry Potter)
Embroidered Holiday Cards.
Tuesday, December 10, 2-4 PM. Foothills Library Hummingbird Room.
Learn how to create handmade embroidered greeting cards. Use your new skill to make custom greeting cards, or the perfect finishing touch for holiday gift giving. For adults aged 18 and up. Space and supplies are limited for this program, so please register each participant individually.
Register for Embroidered Holiday Cards
Crafter Hours: Wintery Tea Towels.
Monday, December 16, 2-3:30 PM OR Monday, December 16, 6-7:30 PM. Main Library Large Meeting Room.
Curious about the Cricut machine and looking for a fun and easy introduction? Look no further! This craft will cover selecting and editing images, cutting, weeding, and applying vinyl designs onto tea towels, with designs all centered around a wintery, seasonal theme. This event is for adults, aged 18 and up. Please only register for one of the two offered sessions.
Register for Crafter Hours: Wintery Tea Towels Session 1
Register for Crafter Hours: Wintery Tea Towels Session 2
DIY For Adults: Magazine Trees.
Thursday, December 19, 6-7:30 PM. Heroes Library Yucca Room.
Create a whimsical tree sculpture using old magazines! This eco-friendly craft not only gives new life to paper but also makes a charming decoration for your home or office. For ages 18 years and up.
Register for DIY For Adults: Magazine Trees
FOR TEENS
Snowflake Scavenger Hunt.
Throughout December at the Velma Teague Library.
Search for snowflakes in the Teen Zone. Once you find all the snowflakes you can pick up a small prize at the front desk. For ages 12-18.
Make a Snow Globe!
Thursday, December 26, 6-7 PM. Velma Teague Library Meeting Room.
Design your winter scene and watch it snow after putting it together. All materials will be provided. For ages 10-18.
Register for Make a Snow Globe!
Teen Venture: New Years Party Poppers.
Monday, December 30, 5-6 PM. Heroes Regional Park Library Yucca Room.
Ring in the New Year with creativity! Join us as we craft festive party poppers, adding a spark of excitement to your celebrations. Space is limited to the first 20 teens, ages 12-18.
Register for Teen Venture: New Years Party Poppers
FOR KIDS & FAMILIES
Gratitude Tree.
Throughout December at the Foothills Library.
Come share what you are grateful for on our community trees in the Youth Department. Fill out and bring your finished snowflake to the front desk to be added to our community board.
Winter I Spy!
Throughout December at the Velma Teague Library.
This month's passive activity is a seasonal search. What can you find on the Velma Teague "I Spy" board? Snowflakes, stars, warm wooly mittens, and more! Bring your completed game board to the front desk for a prize!
Winter Scavenger Hunt.
Throughout December at the Foothills Library.
Visit our Youth Department and seek out various winter-themed images. Find your scavenger hunt sheet at the Youth Desk and write down the images' numbers. Turn in your completed sheet for a fantastic prize! For ages 0-12.
Family Night: Make a Gingerbread House!
Monday, December 9, 6-7:30 PM. Main Library Large Meeting Room.
Have you ever wanted to build a gingerbread house but just didn't know where to start? We get it! We're inviting all beginner, and even expert builders to try their hand at constructing "starter" gingerbread houses using graham crackers, frosting, and all the fun decorations. This hands-on program is geared for families with children ages six and up. Registration is required for every person attending. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult family member.
Register for Family Night: Make a Gingerbread House!
Theater Works Presents The Fir Tree.
Friday, December 13, 4-5:30 PM. Main Library Auditorium.
Theater Works presents this Hans Christian Andersen holiday fable. This free, family-friendly event and performance is a fairy tale about a fir tree so anxious to grow up, so anxious for greater things, that he cannot appreciate living in the moment. This fun production brings the story to life through creative staging, puppetry, and music. It's a wonderful outing for families with children of all ages! This event is funded by a City of Glendale Performing Arts Grant.
Holidays at Heroes.
Saturday, December 14, 12-2 PM. Heroes Regional Park Library Yucca Room.
Celebrate the magic of the winter holidays at the library with a day full of crafts, stories, and surprises! Families can make adorable sock snowmen, paint festive Christmas trees, participate in a holiday scavenger hunt, and enjoy a cheerful storytime. Plus, don’t miss a magical visit from Santa Claus! Families welcome, while supplies last.
Joyful Heart Fine Arts Micro School's Holiday Recital.
Saturday, December 14, 2-3 PM. Main Library Auditorium.
Enjoy the holiday season with excerpts from
The Nutcracker and sing-along favorites. Students aged 4-12 will perform through acting, music, and dancing. Their artwork will also be showcased. These sweet students will be sure to put a smile on your face and joy in your heart!
Winter Sensory Play Day.
Wednesday, December 18, 10:30-11:30 AM. Velma Teague Library Meeting Room.
Winter is all around us, and with it comes new sensory wonders. Enjoy stories about the science of winter, make a “snowball” launcher, and more. This program is intended for ages 2-5. If registering more than one child, please register each attendee individually.
Register for Winter Sensory Play Day
Wonderful Winter Luminaries.
Friday, December 20, 4-5 PM. Main Library Storytime Room.
Personalize your luminary with seasonal designs and take home your shiny creation to brighten the chilly season. Let your creativity shine in this festive winter workshop for tweens, ages 9-11.