Wiggle and Rhyme
2024-02-12 10:00 (America/New_York) | Abbott Room
Content is prepared for birth through age 2. First 20 minutes are rhymes, songs and literacy followed by play time and bubbles for social time.

Music Together
2024-03-04 10:00 - 10:40, 2024-04-01 10:00 - 10:40, 2024-05-06 10:00 - 10:40 | Abbott Room
A music & movement class for ages 0-5 and their grownups
FREE

Mammals and More on the Move in March with Kirk Gentalen
2024-03-14 18:30 - 20:00 | Abbott Room
Friends of Sears Island and the Belfast Free Library invite you to a presentation about mammal activity in this area of the Mid-coast in March with Kirk Gentalen, Maine Coast Heritage Trust Land Steward. The program will take place in Abbott Room with a Zoom-in option for this program for those who aren’t able to attend in person.
Register for the Zoom link here.
Around these parts, March is a wonderful month full of transitions (is there a month that isn’t full of transitions?). When it comes to animal activity in mid-coast Maine in March, there’s lots going on, and more to come as we move toward spring. Join Maine Coast Heritage Trust’s Land Steward and Nature Observer, Kirk Gentalen, for a lively and insightful presentation about where things are at (presently) wildlife-wise and what Kirk’s looking forward to crossing paths with soon enough. Through stories and slides, both loaded with tips and laden with information, we’ll get ourselves ready for spring, which will be only days away.
Kirk Gentalen is a regional stewardship manager for the Maine Coast Heritage Trust for mid-coast Maine (mcht.com) and has 30 years of environmental education experience from working all over the country. Currently living on the St George peninsula with his family, Amy and Leif. Gentalen writes a nature column (‘Nature Bummin’) for MCHT (mcht.org/story-tag/nature-bummin) and edits the Vinalhaven Sightings Report (vinalhavensightings.blogspot.com).

Get Ready For the Eclipse!
2024-04-02 03:30 - 16:30 | Abbott Room
Get Ready For the Eclipse!
Presented by Friends of Sears Island and The Belfast Free Library
~ Learn all about eclipses, build a solar projection box for safe viewing, and take home some free eclipse glasses!!
~Ages 5-12 years old, with an accompanying adult.
~Pre-registration is required, sign-up at: outreach@friendsofsearsisland.org

Make Way For Ducklings: A Musical Retelling Presented by the Halcyon String Quartet
2024-04-06 15:00 - 16:00 | Colonial Theatre
Make Way For Ducklings
~Presented by Halcyon String Quartet: a musical retelling of Robert McCloskey’s beloved children’s book.
Date: Saturday, April 6th
Time: 3:00pm
Place: The Colonial Theatre~ 163 High St, Belfast, ME 04915
Tickets: $7 Students | $9 Seniors | $10 Adults
~For more information, visit colonialtheatre.com

Belfast Bay Watershed Coalition: Planet vs Plastics (part 1)
2024-04-18 17:30 - 20:00 | Abbott Room
Earth Day is Monday, April 22. Earth Day reminds us to think about our beautiful environment and all that we can and should do to preserve it. This is especially important this year when we have had continual reminders of how fragile life on this earth is and how human behavior has affected it.
This year, the national Earth Day organization is focusing on the reduction of the use of plastics – “Planet vs. Plastics.” The organization has set a goal of reducing plastic production by 60% by the year 2040. In keeping with this theme, BBWC and the Belfast Free Library have planned two programs that address the effects of plastics on our environment:
• Thursday, April 18, in the Abbott Room of the Belfast Free Library, will be the first of our “Planet vs. Plastics” presentations. At 5:30, there will be a showing of Earth Day posters created by area students. At 6:00, Plastic Pollution Solutions, a BBWC committee working to decrease the use of single use plastics, will discuss their efforts.
At 6:30, Dr. Charles Rolsky, Executive Director and Senior Research Analyst of the Shaw Institute in Blue Hill, will present a talk on the impact of plastic pollution on the environment and what we can do to help. Light refreshments will be served.
• Tuesday evening, April 23 will be part two of Planet vs. Plastics. At 6:00, we will show the award winning doumentary A Plastic Ocean, followed by discussion about what we can do to limit our personal use of single use plastics.

2024 Youth Poetry Contest Reception and Reading
2024-04-30 15:30 - 16:30 | Abbott Room
Date of Reception and Reading: April 30th
Time of Reception and Reading: 3:30pm to 4:30 pm
Location of Reading and Reception: Abbott Room
To celebrate National Poetry Month and the Year of the Dragon, children and teens of Waldo county have submitted poems on themes of bravery, courage and resilience. Prize winners will be announced by Belfast Poet Laureate Maya Stein.
~All entrants are invited to read their poems.

Penobscot Bay Ringers present Spring Ring concert to benefit Friends of Belfast Free Library
2024-05-19 15:00 - 16:00 | Gammans Room
Penobscot Bay Ringers, Midcoast Maine’s community handbell choir, will present a Spring Ring on Sunday, May 19, 2024, from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm, at the Belfast Free Library, 106 High Street, Belfast.
The concert, which is open to the public, will feature a variety of familiar hymns, popular songs, as well as some pieces composed specifically for handbells. In addition to music presented by the full, five-octave choir, there will be several ensemble performances by members of Penobscot Bay Ringers. The group will be joined by vocalist Emily Emmott on two of the pieces. The concert will be one hour in length with no intermission. The concert is presented at no charge thanks to the Friends of Belfast Free Library.
The Friends of the Belfast Free Library are volunteers who come together because they value and care about the Belfast Free Library and seek to enhance and maximize the library’s role in the community. The Friends believe that enriching the library’s resources helps to create a strong library which in turn ensures a strong community.

Reception for THMS "Faces of the Future" mask exhibit
2024-06-03 16:00 - 18:00 | Abbott Room
Statement about the exhibit:
We are Troy Howard Middle School 8th grade social studies students. We have explored the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in order to find a goal we think is particularly important. Each of us has chosen a goal, completed research, and designed a mask to get the word out about our chosen SDG. We hope people view our “Faces of the Future” masks and read our artist statements and begin to think about ways that we can all make a difference.
Our Mission:
Our mission is to inspire, educate, and make a difference. We are the next generation that will have to survive in this world, so we are going to make it a place where we can. We WILL thrive if we follow these goals, and if we are disciplined, determined and concentrated towards making the world a better place, it WILL happen. We need change, so we will create it ourselves. This project is giving more awareness and trying to relate to the younger generations through art.

Who Owns Your Grocery? A discussion with Jon Steinman
2024-06-06 17:30 - 19:30 | Abbott Room
The Belfast Community Coop presents an evening with Jon Steinman.
Join author Jon Steinman for an inspiring discussion on “What Is the Food Co-op Future?” in the Abbott Room, Thursday, June 6th at 5:30 PM.
Gain insights into the future of grocery stores and the food supply chain, and hear inspiring stories of the food co-op renaissance currently taking place across the U.S. Stick around for a community dialogue about the food co-op future, facilitated by Jon using his ‘Cooperative Dialogue’ approach to group communication.
Jon Steinman is the Author of Grocery Story: The Promise of Food Co-ops in the Age of Grocery Giants (New Society Publishers)
Find out more at belfast.coop/jon-steinman

Preschool Storytimes at Belfast City Park
2024-06-14 10:00 - 11:00 | City Park or Abbott Room
~Stories shared through books, puppets, felt, songs and an easy craft.
Fridays, 10:00-11:00am
June 14 (in Abbott Room) and 21
July 19 and 26
August 23 and 30
Northport Avenue in Belfast, on the grass next to bridge to playground.
Bring a blanket and chairs as needed.
Rain location: Abbott room, Belfast Free Library 106 High Street.

Waldo County launch of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
2024-06-17 16:30 - 17:30 | Abbott Room
Families of young children ages from birth to five, as well as grandparents, teachers, librarians, funders and supporters are all invited to attend this special event to celebrate the launch of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Waldo County.
Adults!
Learn more about this early literacy initiative that provides specially selected, age-appropriate books, mailed directly to youngsters at no cost to their parents. They will acquire a home library of dozens of books before reaching kindergarten age! If you reside in Waldo County, you can register your baby or child under five years old at the launch party, or anytime from anywhere– simply by visiting ImaginationLibrary.com
Kids!
Celebrate with us. Storytime with Barb from Liberty Library; and Stephanie from Belfast Free Library will present a puppet story and a fun craft project.
Everyone!
Complimentary refreshments… and a photo op with
[a life-size, life-like] Dolly Parton!

Wire Sculpture for Teens
2024-07-02 15:30 - 17:00 | Abbott Room
Belfast Summer Reading Presents ~ Wire Sculpture for Teens
Belfast Summer Reading invites you to make a wire sculpture! We will be playing with minimalist wire sculpture techniques, but anything goes! If you are feeling something take shape, I suggest you make it!
~ For Teens 11-17
~ Abbott Room of the Belfast Free Library
