The Blog

The holidays are a busy time of the year for everyone, and our libraries are no exception.

The spirit of celebration that defines this time of year creates a tremendous opportunity for our libraries to reinforce their status as community centers open to all where residents can build relationships with fellow members of the community and participate in shared cultural experiences.

The Neuse Regional Library kicked off the holiday season with the Night of Joy on Thursday, December 5, at 7:00 p.m. The Night of Joy, now in its eleventh year, is a community-wide celebration where performers give of their time and talents to the delight of a grateful audience that is sure to leave filled with the spirit of the season. Performances include singing, dancing from various local dance troupes, and other musical arrangements. This year’s featured performers were the Community Dance Company; Kent, Sean, and Ryan Henderson; Pamela Bell; Marlene Matthews; J’Nyah Corbett featuring Sherida Suggs; Merryn Taylor; IBLife; Chris Raines; Hannah McLawhorn; and Joi Lemon.

Attendees of Night of Joy throughout the years have experienced an incredible community-building experience and this year was no exception; the Library’s auditorium was filled with excited holiday revelers who greatly enjoyed the cross-section of our community’s tremendous talents represented within the program.

All of our Libraries are decorated for the season, and offer a fantastic line up of holiday programs. If you are interested in making new ornaments for your Christmas tree or a Christmas craft, you can stop by the Pink Hill Public Library on December 14 at 11:00 a.m. or the Trenton Public Library on December 14 at 1:00 p.m. to join others in creating these decorations in a group setting.

Once the decorations are done, it’s time to get out and have some fun. Join us at the La Grange Public Library for a Colonial Christmas on Monday, December 16 at 6:30 p.m. Travel back in time and discover how Christmas was celebrated during colonial times through this program presented by Harmony Hall. Stop by the Pink Hill Public Library on Tuesday, December 17, at 6:00 p.m. for Cooking with Carmen to make Spicy Hot Chocolate. Lastly, the Trenton Public Library will be hosting a Jolly, Jingle, Mix, and Mingle on Thursday, December 19, at 5:00 p.m. ’Tis the season for great company, decant desserts, and Christmas carols. Please bring a dessert to share and come enjoy musical entertainment by Grace Worthington.

If you need a last minute visit to see Santa, his sleigh has been making its way throughout our library system and will make a stop at the Greene County Public Library on Thursday, December 19, at 7:00 p.m. for the annual Santa Spectacular. There will be stories, songs, games, crafts, and of course, a visit from Santa.

This is just a sampling of the wonderful programs offered by a Library near you this holiday season. Stop by your local Library to pick up a calendar of events and be sure to follow us on social media for the latest updates and happenings. All Neuse Regional Libraries have a wide variety of Christmas books, audiobooks, e-books, e-audiobooks, and DVDs available for check out. We wish all of our patrons a happy and joyous holiday season, and hope to see you in our Libraries soon.