The Great Give Back is an opportunity for library patrons statewide to partake in meaningful, service-oriented experiences. At Bethlehem Public Library, our visitors can participate in the following three ways:
1. We are collecting household cleaning supplies for the Bethlehem Food Pantry through Oct. 21. Collection receptacles will be available in the lobby.
2. Drop in any time through Oct. 18 to color in a coloring sheet for Colorasmile.org, a non-profit group that distributes cheerful drawings to seniors, troops and others in need of a smile.
3. On Friday, Oct. 18, at 3 p.m., we’re holding a Cards of Hope event, where you can create cards with kind and inspiring messages to be given to seniors at local assisted living facilities.
Trunk of Treat at Elm Ave. Park
How many treats do you get when the library and the Town of Bethlehem Parks and Recreation department team up to host an awesome Halloween extravaganza? A whole trunkload!
Drop by Elm Avenue Park Wednesday, Oct. 23, beginning at 4 p.m. for our inaugural Trunk or Treat community-wide event, featuring dozens of creative trick-or-treating stations hosted by local groups such as the library Friends, area Girl Scout troops, the Bethlehem Tomboys, Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy, Delmar-Bethlehem EMS, the Progress Club, Capital District Child Care Council, high school clubs, and more.
Halloween costumes are too special to wear just once, so strut your spooky stuff at the 4:15 p.m. parade before “trunk or treating” your way through the park. This free event is suitable for all ages.
Camino de Santiago
The Camino de Santiago, known in English as the Way of Saint James, is a 1,200-year-old pilgrimage trail that runs from Germany through France and Spain to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain. It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of people hike some or all of the trails that make up the route every year.
Learn more about hiking the trail, including its spiritual significance for many, along with tips and travel logistics, from two area residents who have first-hand knowledge of the trip. On Sunday, Oct. 20, at 2 p.m., Brendan Mooney of Delmar and Suzanne Holt of New Palz will share their experiences and answer questions.
Mooney spent time in Spain studying abroad and returned many times over the years to visit friends. He first hiked the 550-mile trail in September 2009 at the age of 59. He returned recently to become a Hospitalero, a volunteer who assists hikers by advising on where to purchase food, where to do laundry or translating at the medical clinic in the event of an injury. He calls the Camino “a metaphor for life.”
Holt walked the Camino de Santiago from Lisbon, Portugal in April 2019.
The write stuff
Get an up-close look at the venerable Writers Institute Monday, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m. with a screening of WMHT’s documentary “Inside the Writers Institute.”
This will be followed by a discussion led by Mike Huber from the New York State Writer’s Institute.
Other upcoming events
All events are free and take place at Bethlehem Public Library, 451 Delaware Ave., Delmar. For more information, call 518-439-9314 or visit bethlehempubliclibrary.org.
Friday, Oct. 18
Keepsake Trick-or-Treat Bag
Watch a Halloween short, then decorate a small fabric bag. For children up to ages 3-5 with family. Sign up each child individually, 10 a.m.
Friday, Oct. 18
Coffee and Conversation: Sonny and Perley
Local entertainers perform a mixed Program of songs from the 1920s through 1950s, 1 p.m. Program is followed by a coffee break. Co-sponsored by Bethlehem Senior Projects, Inc.
— Kristen Roberts
