Tewksbury Public Library – Week of September 28th, 2025

Library To Hold 27 Programs Next Week, Including All Ages Reading Picnic On October 4th

Event Registration

Please register online using our Calendar of Events at http://www.tewksburypl.org or by calling 978- 640-4490. We strongly recommend registration for programs that are marked *RR.

Adult Events (In-Person)

IN PERSON: Queen Bean Coffee Truck at TPL

Monday, September 29, 11:30am-1:30pm

Celebrate National Library Card Month with TPL and Queen Bean Coffee Truck Mondays in September starting September 8th. Grab a mid-morning or afternoon pick me up right outside the library’s front doors! Queen Bean of Wilmington will be parked right outside the library to bring you cold brew along with iced and hot coffee and espresso drinks (available for purchase).

IN PERSON: Adult Craft Night (*RR)

Monday, September 29, 6:30pm

Enjoy making a craft while socializing with others! This month’s featured craft is Wool Felt Pumpkins. All supplies provided. Led by longtime crafter Rachelle Toth, host of the local access TV show “Crafts ‘n’ Stuff.”

IN PERSON: Book a Tech Help Appointment! (*RR)

Tuesday, September 30, 2pm-3pm

Wednesday, October 1, 3pm-4pm

You can book a TPL Librarian for 30 minutes to help you with your technology questions. You may book up to twice a month, one question per session. Ask about: Using Libby, Hoopla, Kanopy and other library resources; Basic computer skills; Basic tablet skills; Basic phone skills; Using email; and Using Microsoft Office and comparable programs.

IN PERSON: Adult Board Game Night (*RR)

Tuesday, September 30, 6pm-8:30pm

Enjoy playing board games while socializing with others! This month, board game extraordinaire Jonah McCreary will be teaching us how to play Star Wars: Outer Rim. Additionally, several tables will be available for “open play” if you’d like to bring your own games or borrow one of the library’s games to play. Complimentary pizza will be provided.

IN-PERSON: MassHire Lowell Mobile Career Center

Wednesday, October 1, 10am-2pm

The MassHire Lowell Mobile Career Center is visiting Tewksbury! Every Wednesday from August 6-October 29, the Mobile Career Center will be parked outside the library from 10AM-2PM to help job seekers. The MassHire Lowell Mobile Career Center is a mobile bus unit that has been equipped with solar panels to power workstations within the bus to allow for Career Center services to hit the road to all of our local communities, cities and towns. It will provide information on: Career Services; Current Training Programs; Job Search Events; and Hiring Events.

IN PERSON: Armchair Detectives Mystery Book Group

Wednesday, October 1, 1:30pm

This month, join us for a discussion of Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger. New members are always welcome! Copies of the book are available at the Front Desk one month prior to meeting.

IN PERSON: MORNING MOVIE — Flow (*RR)

Thursday, October 2, 10:30am

Enjoy a screening of one of Hollywood’s newest DVD releases — Flow. Cat is a solitary animal, but as its home is devastated by a great flood, he finds refuge on a boat populated by various species, and will have to team up with them despite their differences. This film won Best International Feature Film at the 2025 Academy Awards. Animated. Rated PG. 1 Hour, 25 Minutes. Doors will open at 10am. Film will start at 10:30am. Candy & water will be served. A $1 donation is suggested.

OFFSITE: Tewksbury Community Market at LIVINGSTON PARK

Thursday, October 2, 4pm-7pm

The Tewksbury Community Market takes place on Thursdays, from 4pm to 7pm, from June 5, 2025 from October 9, 2025, in the parking lot behind the Tewksbury Recreation Center at Livingston St. Park (288 Livingston Street). The market has 70 vendors overall, with 30-35 vendors present on any given week. Each week’s lineup of vendors is listed on the Market’s website at http://www.tewksburymarket.com.

IN PERSON: AFTERNOON MOVIE — Jurassic World: Rebirth (*RR)

Friday, October 3, 2pm

Enjoy a screening of one of Hollywood’s newest DVD releases — Jurassic World: Rebirth. Five years post-Jurassic World: Dominion, an expedition braves isolated equatorial regions to extract DNA from three massive prehistoric creatures for a groundbreaking medical breakthrough. Starring Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali. Sci-Fi/Action/Adventure. Rated PG-13. 2 Hours, 13 Minutes. Doors will open at 1:45pm. Candy & water will be served. A $1 donation is suggested.

OUTDOORS: All Ages Reading Picnic (*RR)

Saturday, October 4, 12:30pm-2:30pm

Open to all ages, TPL is celebrating our community’s right to access and read materials freely at their local public library by hosting their third annual celebration of the freedom to read. Bring a book and blanket or chair and join community members of all ages on the front lawn for an afternoon of celebrating the freedom to read and fun for everyone! Stop by for giveaways and refreshments, while supplies last. Registration recommended but not required. Feel free to drop in to the event when you can.

Adult Events (Virtual)

VIRTUAL: Rock & Roll Goes Hollywood (Part #2 of 2) (*RR)

Monday, September 29, 2pm

Ever since the beginning of the sound era, film producers and directors have recognized the importance of including music in their motion pictures, whether as part of a soundtrack or by including songs performed either by the film’s actors or by vocalists who dubbed them. Many great Rock & Roll songs have been an integral part of this process, particularly in such films as The Big Chill, Almost Famous, Forrest Gump, Easy Rider, and The Deer Hunter. Examine how outstanding directors such as Stanley Kubrick, John Hughes, and Robert Zemeckis made effective use of songs from the first two decades of the Rock era to set a mood or remind the audience of the time frame in which the film was set. Led by Rich Knox, a retired school teacher and administrator, who lectures on musicals, films, and opera to libraries across the country.

VIRTUAL: Who REALLY Wrote Shakespeare? (*RR)

Monday, September 29, 7pm

How could William Shakespeare – a man who never sailed – have written with such accuracy about sailing in The Tempest? Or how – without studying law – could he have written with such insight about lawyers, courts and legal issues, in plays such as Henry IV? Or how – without ever serving in the military – could have have written so splendidly of the rigors and technical aspects of war as he did in Hamlet? The discussion about Shakespeare’s identity has amused many, tantalized others, and consumed the lives of a few, including a Boston man who, in 1916, went to court to prove that someone other than Shakespeare wrote all those great works. (Before you laugh, he won the case.) Hear the story of this man’s search for the “real” author of the works attributed to William Shakespeare. Led by historian and author David Kruh.

VIRTUAL: Armchair Travel To Cambridge, England (*RR)

Tuesday, September 30, 2pm

History unfolds at every corner, in secret courtyards glimpsed through ancient oak doors to alleyways that have seen students rushing past to get to class for more than 800 years. Cambridge can be reached by car or train, just about an hour and a half north of London. It’s easy to spend several days exploring the cobbled streets, walking along the river, visiting historic sites and museums, shopping and eating in this charming town. Join art historian Mary Woodward for a look around this walkable town as we discover treasures, large and small, in Cambridge.

VIRTUAL: A Visit with the Addison Gallery of American Art (Tommy Kha) (*RR)

Tuesday, September 30, 3pm

Enjoy a virtual tour and discussion of one of the Addison Gallery of American Art’s latest exhibition — “Other Things Uttered: Tommy Kha.” Explore the work of contemporary photographer Tommy Kha, the second recipient of the Addison’s Bartlett H. Hayes, Jr. Prize. Kha examines how we construct belonging and otherness through photography, inventing new models for self-portraiture with a critical eye toward the medium’s long history of absences and erasure. Led by curator Rachel Vogel.

VIRTUAL: The Politics Of Chocolate (*RR)

Tuesday, September 30, 7pm

It’s hard not to smile when there’s chocolate nearby, but behind the deep, rich taste, there’s a whole world of serious (and fascinating) issues. Dive into the world of chocolate, exploring its entanglements with child labor, its aspirations with women-owned cooperatives and the Fair Trade movement, and its intrigues, including corporate espionage. Led by Cocoa Beantown, an education and tour guide company that specializes in the appreciation of chocolate.

VIRTUAL: TEWKSBURY WRITING GROUP – Advice From Author & Screenwriter Steven Womack (*RR)

Tuesday, September 30, 7pm

Are you a writer — or an aspiring writer — looking for some support? The Tewksbury Writing Group is open to everyone who’s interested in writing — all genres, all skill levels. Each meeting — which will take place via Zoom — features a guest speaker (typically a published author or editor) offering some tips of the trade. The September 2025 guest speaker is award-winning author and screenwriter Steven Womack. His first published novel, Murphy’s Fault, was the only debut mystery on the 1990 New York Times Notable Book List. Since then, Steven has published ten more novels, winning both the Edgar and Shamus Awards, as well as receiving multiple nominations for major mystery awards. A scriptwriter as well, he co-wrote the screenplays for Proudheart, which was nominated for the CableAce Award, and Volcano: Fire on the Mountain, an ABC television movie that was one of the most-watched television movies of the year. Steven lives in Nashville, where for 25 years he anchored the screenwriting program at the Watkins Film School of Watkins College of Art.

VIRTUAL: 50+ Job Seekers Networking Group — Resumes (*RR)

Wednesday, October 1, 9:30am

The Library 50+ Job Seekers Networking Group meets via Zoom on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month, from 9:30am to 11:30am. Informal networking takes place from 9am to 9:30am and 11:30am to noon. If you are unemployed and actively looking, underemployed, seeking a new career direction, re-entering the job market after a long employment gap, or recently retired and looking for your “Encore Career,” this networking group program is perfect for you! Remember, 85% of jobs are found through networking!

VIRTUAL: A Visit with the Addison Gallery of American Art: The Florida Highwaymen Painters (*RR)

Wednesday, October 1, 3pm

Enjoy a virtual tour and discussion of one of the Addison Gallery of American Art’s latest exhibition — “Making Their Way: The Florida Highwaymen Painters.” The Florida Highwaymen was a loosely affiliated group of 26 African American landscape painters who sold their vivid and expressive tropical scenes door-to-door and out of the trunks of their cars along the coastal roads of Eastern Florida from the 1950s through the 1980s. Led by curator Gordon Wilkins.

VIRTUAL: Discover The Unknown World Of Beavers with Mass Audubon (*RR)

Wednesday, October 1, 7pm

Few animals can change entire landscapes like beavers can. The American Beaver is an incredible wetland engineer and can be found throughout Massachusetts transforming their habitats. This online presentation will cover beaver family life, range, lodge and dam maintenance, and how they contribute to the biodiversity of open spaces. Led by Maura Genova, Director of Mass Audubon’s Ipswich River Nature Camp.

VIRTUAL: The Floral Still-Life Paintings Of Rachel Ruysch (*RR)

Thursday, October 2, 10:30am

In the 17th and 18th centuries, Rachel Ruysch (1664-1750) was a celebrated artist in her native Holland and across Europe. She commanded impressive prices for her works that found homes with influential clients, including royalty. But her paintings were much more than just pretty flower pictures! Rachel had access to horticultural and natural history specimens, images of which she incorporated into her textural, colorful and complex creations. Life and death lurk amongst the stems and petals of her paintings. Currently, an international retrospective exhibit is on view at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts through December 7, 2025. Led by art historian Mary Woodward, a guide at several Historic New England properties. She previously served as Public Programs Coordinator and Educator at the Concord Museum.

VIRTUAL: How To Organize Your Recipes & Cookbooks (*RR)

Thursday, October 2, 7pm

Learn effective strategies for storing clipped recipes and organizing your cookbooks. Led by professional organizer Jamie Novak, who is the bestselling author of Keep This, Toss That: The Practical Guide To Tidying Up and host of “The 10 Minute Podcast.”

OUTDOORS: All Ages Reading Picnic (*RR)

Saturday, October 4, 12:30pm-2:30pm

Teen Events (In-Person)

IN PERSON: Sensory Inclusive Movie: Hocus Pocus

Wednesday, October 1, 6:15pm

Join us for snacks and a movie on the big screen as we watch Hocus Pocus! Feel free to bring your own snacks, water, and/or blankets and pillows to get comfy. We will have some snacks, fidgets to use during the event and chairs provided. This event is open to all ages. Hocus Pocus is rated PG. The run time is 1 hour and 36 minutes. This showing is for all ages and is sensory inclusive. This means that quiet is not expected or anticipated. Feel free to move around, bring your iPad/devices, wear noise cancelling headphones, and more. We will have fidgets available in the back of the room. If you have any questions, please email Emily at eleggat@tewksburypl.org.

OUTDOORS: All Ages Reading Picnic (*RR)

Saturday, October 4, 12:30pm-2:30pm

Children’s Events (In-Person)

IN PERSON: Toddler Story Time

Monday, September 29, 10:15am

Join us for stories, songs, movement, instruments, dancing and more. Get your early literacy skills on! All of our story times are interactive for children and their caregivers. Please be ready to participate and play. Don’t worry, we will have a printout with all of the songs and rhymes we are using so you can follow along! Story Times run in sessions. You can drop in one week, every week or however works best for your schedule. No registration is required. Toddler Story Time will run every Monday from September 8 – December 15 (excluding closings and other exceptions. For example, there is no Story Time September 15).

OUTDOORS: Save Those Seeds!

Tuesday, September 30, 3:30pm

We learned to plant seeds this Spring. Now let’s go back to the garden and collect seeds from the radishes that grew! We’ll talk about saving seeds to plant next year, package them up to take home, and then take a walk upstairs to visit the TPL Seed Library. No gardening experience required. If there is inclement weather, the event will meet in the Craft Room. This event is open to children in grades 3-5.

IN PERSON: Barks & Books with Benny (*RR)

Tuesday, September 30, 4:30pm-5:30pm

Children (especially those struggling with reading) are invited to sign up for a one-on-one session with our service dog Benny on Tuesday afternoons. Barks and Books are open to children reading independently. Each session lasts for 15 minutes in private – just you, Benny, and his human Mom, Melanie. Bring your own book or borrow one of ours to read. This is a great way to build literacy confidence and fluency with a non-judgmental canine reading partner!

IN PERSON: Baby Play Group

Wednesday, October 1, 10:15am

Looking to get together with others who have little ones? Want your baby to explore new things and make new friends? Drop in any time during Baby Play Group. The Activities Room will be open with some things to do (including our ball pit!), or feel free to explore the rest of the Children’s Room. Come in, get to know us, and see all that the library has to offer for our youngest library users. Baby Play Group is designed for young children ages 0 to 2 years old and their caregivers. Older siblings are welcome to join, but activities are geared towards those ages 0 to 2.

IN PERSON: Sensory Inclusive Movie: Hocus Pocus

Wednesday, October 1, 6:15pm

OUTDOORS: All Ages Reading Picnic (*RR)

Saturday, October 4, 12:30pm-2:30pm Open to all ages, TPL is celebrating our community’s right to access and read materials freely at their local public library by hosting their third annual celebration of the freedom to read. Bring a book and blanket or chair and join community members of all ages on the front lawn for an afternoon of celebrating the freedom to read and fun for everyone! Stop by for giveaways and refreshments, while supplies last. Registration recommended but not required. Feel free to drop in to the event when