Category Archives: Events

Updates about one-time events.

Arts@Clark Presents:
Sew Curious: Open Studio Sewing

Are you Sew Curious? Join us on select Saturday afternoons this fall for a series of Open Studio Sewing sessions, a chance to work on your latest needlework project – quilting, sewing, or mending! These drop-in sessions are a fun gathering for weekend sewing – to enjoy shared interests and camaraderie. You may bring your own equipment, or the Library has invested in some beautiful sewing tools (two sewing machines, rotary cutters, quilt rulers, pressing mats and irons) for participants to use (special thanks to the Friends of the Library)! We welcome everyone with an interest in sewing, from beginners to experts, to join us in the Community Room – the timing is meant to accommodate all schedules, regardless of your work, family, or other commitments. Drop in for an hour or all afternoon! We hope to see you there!

Once a month on Saturdays, 2:00 – 4:00 PM
September 19, October 17, November 14, December 12,
January 23, February 20, March 20, April 17, & May 22

Tuesday through Friday | August 18 – August 28 | 3:00 – 4:00 PM | All Ages

During the last two weeks of August, we will be hosting Reading Sprints from 3:00 – 4:00 PM in the Teens & Tweens area upstairs to help everyone reach their Summer Reading goals. Bring in a book (or pick one up at the Library), focus in on finishing your reading, and get a treat for each 20 minute “Sprint” you complete!

Bedazzled Books is Back!

Bring your favorite book to the Library from 5:00 – 7:00 PM on Wednesday, August 5 or 2:00 – 4:00 PM on Saturday, August 8, and make it sparkle with bedazzling gems!

This program is for participants ages 15+. You must bring your own book to bedazzle, but all other materials will be provided. Please consider that more detailed book cover designs will be more difficult to accent with the gems.

The program will take place in the Library’s Community Room – space is limited. There will be a maximum of 15 participants and registration is required. Contact the Library at 203-393-2103 or clarkmain@bethanylibrary.org to register; if you register but cannot attend, please let us know as far in advance as possible so that your spot can be opened back up.

 This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

Duct Tape Crafts!

We will be making duct tape crafts on Wednesdays in July, from 4:30 – 5:30 PM in the Teens & Tweens Maker Studio. We have the supplies to make wallets, clutches, and earrings – come join us and get creative! This is a drop-in activity for ages 12 and up.

The Library will be closed on Friday, July 3 AND Saturday, July 4 for Independence Day. Enjoy this particularly special holiday weekend – remember, this year is the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence!

The Library will be closed this week on Friday, June 19 for Juneteenth (or Freedom Day) – the anniversary of the announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation by Union troops in Galveston, Texas, and the official end of slavery in the United States.
We hope everyone enjoys the holiday!

America 250 at the Library!

On Saturday, June 13, the Library will be taking part in a town-wide celebration of America 250, the 250th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Stop by any time during Library hours to see our Revolutionary Reading book display and the Three Sisters Boundary Stone upstairs, the 2026 Bethany Celebrates America 250th Quilt and 1976 Bethany Bicentennial Quilt in the stairwell, a special Arts@Clark! exhibit by the Bethany Quilt & Friendship Group in the Community Room, and a Children’s Guide to the Founding Fathers Storywalk along the edge of the front lawn!

Our Summer Reading Kickoff will be happening at the same time, so be sure to sign up for the Read & Bead and Summer Reading Flowers programs (ages 10 and under), the Teens & Tweens Summer Reading Challenge (ages 10 and up), or the Adult Summer Reading Raffle while you’re here. There will also be crafts and activities, including a special Rock Painting activity starting at 2:00 PM.

Rock Painting

As part of our Summer Reading Kickoff on Saturday, June 13, the Library will be hosting a Rock Painting activity starting at 2:00 PM where visitors will be able to paint custom rocks to add to Rocky the Rock Snake. There will be a table set up outside, to the right of the Library’s main entrance; Rocky is back on display in the garden to the left of the entrance, and after the Kickoff he’ll be bigger and better than ever!

While you’re outside, be sure to check out the Children’s Guide to the Founding Fathers Storywalk on the Library’s front lawn – then head inside to see the rest of our America 250 Celebration displays and sign up for one of the Summer Reading Programs!

Summer Reading Flowers

This program is for children under 10, and will run alongside our Read & Bead program – so your reading times count towards both! When you sign up, you’ll receive a flower head that you can add a colorful petal to for every 20 minutes you read over the summer – and once your flower has fully “bloomed”, it will be added to our Summer Reading Garden in the Children’s Room! You’ll also earn a ladybug or bee to add to the Garden for every 200 minutes you read, and a butterfly for every 500 minutes. By the end of summer, we hope that the Summer Reading Garden will be bustling with life.

The Library’s 2026 Summer Reading Kickoff is Saturday, June 13! Early sign-ups start Tuesday, June 9, but we encourage you to stop by during the Kickoff even if you’ve signed up already. Take part in fun crafts and activities – and while you’re here, check out our displays for the state-wide America 250 Celebration as well!

Read & Bead

This Summer Reading Program is for children under 10. Create a custom necklace over the course of the summer – you’ll earn a bead for every 20 minutes you read, and a charm for every 100 minutes. Participants receive a book log to track their reading time in when they sign up, as well as a necklace chain and a red, white, or blue starter bead in honor of the America 250 Celebration!

The Library’s 2026 Summer Reading Kickoff is Saturday, June 13! Early sign-ups start Tuesday, June 9, but we encourage you to stop by during the Kickoff even if you’ve signed up already. Take part in fun crafts and activities – and while you’re here, check out our displays for the state-wide America 250 Celebration as well!