Activity

Program for tweens ages 8-12. Do you love animals? Ever wonder what it takes to keep a pet happy, healthy, and thriving? Join Zoe and Kerry from the Connecticut Humane Society for a fun, hands-on adventure into the world of pet care! Throughout this interactive program, kids will learn the ins and outs of pet ownership, reviewing what they already know about pets and building upon their knowledge to better understand what pets need to thrive in their environment. Essex Library programs are free and open to the public. Registration is required as space is limited. Click here to register.

Program for kids ages 5-12. Kids age 5-8 must have an adult participate alongside. September is home to National Cheese Pizza Day! Let’s make our own mini-English muffin pizzas! Join us for a delicious afternoon in the kitchen! Young chefs will build their own personal English muffin pizzas with their favorite toppings, then enjoy their tasty creations while learning simple kitchen skills and basic food safety. Possible Allergens: recipe contains english muffins, marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and optional pepperoni. Essex Library programs are free and open to the public. Registration is required. Click here to register.

Embark on a visual journey deep into the lush jungles of Costa Rica through professional photographer Bert Sirkin’s photographs. Experience the vibrant beauty of one of the world's most biodiverse countries. Each image offers a window into the heart of Costa Rica's teeming jungles, showcasing the incredible variety of its wildlife in their natural habitats. This program is free and open to all at Essex Library Association, 33 West Avenue, Essex, CT. Registration is suggested as space is limited. Register online at www.youressexlibrary.org or call the Library at 860-767-1560.

Program for children ages birth – 2 and their caregivers. Music is one of the earliest ways babies learn about the world! In Baby Band, caregivers and little ones will sing, dance, bounce, clap, and explore child-safe instruments in a playful, engaging environment. Along the way, babies strengthen early literacy, communication, motor, and social-emotional skills while caregivers discover fun ways to continue the music at home. No pressure to sit still, wiggles, giggles, and movement are all part of the fun! What to Expect: We’ll start by singing some familiar songs to get the party started. Then, we’ll explore rhythm with scarves, shakers, drums, or other child-safe instruments. Before we end, we’ll sing a goodbye song! After baby band, families are encouraged to stay, play, and socialize in our Children's Room. It's a wonderful opportunity for children to make friends, caregivers to connect, and our library community to grow together. Essex Library programs are free and open to the public. Registration is required as supplies are limited. Click here to register.

Join the Ivoryton Library in celebrating National Play-Doh Day by making our own play-doh and creating with it! Each family will walk away with some homemade play-doh and the recipe to make more!

Join us for an empowering, eye-opening virtual conversation with renowned wellness expert Yasmine Cheyenne as we discuss her transformative new book, The Comeback Era: From Limiting Beliefs to Living Without Limits. Consider this your official permission slip to stop pretending everything is fine and start building a life you genuinely love. This Essex Library Association program is free and open to all. Registration is required for all virtual author talks. Register online at www.youressexlibrary.org or by calling the Library at 860-767-1560.

This interactive workshop, led by Amy Weiss, will introduce participants to several artificial intelligence apps to explore their varied uses. Together, we’ll discuss how AI can streamline daily tasks at work and at home, while also recognizing the ethical and environmental implications of this technology. The responsibilities that AI companies have in keeping its users safe and what we can do to protect our personal information will also be discussed. Space is limited. Registration required. Register online at www.youressexlibrary.org or by calling the Library at 860-767-1560. Amy Weiss is an assistant professor of Judaic Studies and History at the University of Hartford. She recently received a 2026 Teaching and Learning Grant on AI from the University of Hartford’s Center for Teaching Excellence and Innovation. The university also named her an AI Faculty Facilitator, tasked with creating a professional development workshop for faculty. During the 2025 – 2026 academic year, Amy has served as the lead faculty fellow for the Humanities Center’s Honors Seminar, where she is teaching a two semester course titled “AI in Action: The Future of Humans.” She holds a certificate from the Generative AI: Technology, Business, and Society Program at Stanford University.

Program for kids ages 2-5. Celebrate the magic of the season with stories, songs, movement, and a festive fall craft as we explore the colors, sounds, and wonders of autumn together! Join us for themed stories, songs, rhymes, and crafts! We’ll learn early literacy concepts like colors, shapes, opposites, the ABCs and much more, to prepare our pre-school age children for kindergarten. What to expect: Each Little Learners session begins with a welcome song where each child is invited to dance and celebrate themselves. We sing interactive songs that encourage vocabulary development and gross motor movement, then read a story together. After the first book, we sing a few more songs and read another story. We conclude our time together with 3-4 craft and play centers that help children develop their early math, literacy, and motor skills. After story time, families are encouraged to stay, play, and socialize in our Children's Room. It's a wonderful opportunity for children to make friends, caregivers to connect, and our library community to grow together. Essex Library programs are free and open to the public. Registration is requested to ensure enough crafts are prepared. Click here to register.

Come join us on September 19th (rain date September 20th) to help clean up the Connecticut River and other areas in our three village community (Essex, Ivoryton, Centerbrook). We meet at the Connecticut River Museum and then go out into groups to get supplies and site assignments. It is a great way to volunteer, meet like minded people, and help clean up our local environment. Click on the web link for more details and to sign up to join us!

Program for kids ages 5-12. Explore the science of aerodynamics with us! Kids will use everyday objects to create an awesome glider that is part game, part toy, and part physics experiment! Ready, set, fly! Essex Library programs are free and open to the public. Registration is required, space is limited. Click here to register.

Join Harp & Happenings for a Fall Paint Night at Brickside Pizza!

Register for this virtual program HERE. Is having a trust in your estate plan the best option for you? In this session, estate planning and elder law attorney Erin Duques of Daly Perri Arnold & Knierim in Madison, will demystify trusts and explain why a trust may – or may not - be suitable for you and why. First, you’ll learn about some of the most common types of trusts and the purpose and benefits of each, such as protecting assets, avoiding probate, minimizing taxes, and keeping public benefits for a loved one with special needs. Whether you are new to trusts or even understand them well, you’ll walk away understanding how and when to use these powerful planning tools to your advantage. This Essex Library Association program is free and open to the public. Registration is required for all virtual programs.

Register and ask questions of the author here Grab a pocketful of change and get ready to dance down the street! Join us for an energetic conversation as we celebrate the joy of community and summer fun with Latin GRAMMY-winning musician Lucky Diaz, author of the sensational bilingual picture book, Paletero Man. What’s the best way to cool off on a hot summer day? Run quick and find Paletero José! Follow along with our narrator as he passes through his busy neighborhood in search of the Paletero Man. But when he finally catches up with him, our narrator’s pockets are empty. Oh no! What happened to his dinero? It will take the help of the entire community to get the tasty treat now. Inspired by the vibrant rhythms of Los Angeles and Diaz’s own hit song, this beautiful story invites readers into a sun-drenched neighborhood where the ring of a bell means the best treat of the day is just around the corner. Register today and discover how we can all bring a little more sweetness and community spirit into our daily lives! Essex Library programs are free and open to the public. Registration is required, see above link.

Want to reduce the waste you create? Join Karen Evans, environmental educator and member of Sustainable Essex, for a hands on workshop focusing on reducing, reusing, recycling, and rethinking!

Want to reduce the waste you create? Join Karen Evans, environmental educator and member of Sustainable Essex, for a hands on workshop focusing on reducing, reusing, recycling, and rethinking!

Take a trip down Main Street in Essex Village to capture the rich maritime history of 18th century “Potapaug,” its working waterfront and ship-building prominence in the early 19th century as well as its development as a beautiful visitor destination of today. Our tours meet at the "Foot of Main Street" in front of the CT River Museum and start at 5:00pm.  Walking tours are open to the public but we encourage pre-registration. We ask for a $10 donation per person and tours are FREE to active EHS 2026 members. Our walks last about an hour and are on mostly flat ground covering a little less than a mile.  We try to adapt our tours a bit based on our audience of the day, but if  you would like a fully customized tour, please contact our staff 860-767-0681 to arrange, giving us at least 3 weeks to arrange our guide scheduling. NEW DAY THIS YEAR! Summer 2026 walks will be on Saturdays: June 27, July 25, August 29 and September 26.

Kids and families are invited to join the Ivoryton Library in celebrating National Fall Foliage Week by crafting with the beautiful nature all around us!

Program for kids ages birth-3 and their caregivers. A play-based music and movement story time for young children and their caregivers! At Essex Library, we are committed to providing high-quality story time experiences that foster early literacy, social-emotional growth, and a lifelong love of learning. What to expect: Each Wiggle Worms session begins with a welcome song where children (or caregivers) are invited to introduce themselves (or their little one), helping build confidence. We sing interactive songs that encourage vocabulary development and gross motor movement, then share a story together while modeling early literacy skills by pointing to words, turning pages, and engaging with the book. After the first book, we play and sing with interactive toys such as shakers, scarves, and rhythm sticks before we wrap up with one final story and a goodbye song. After story time, families are encouraged to stay, play, and socialize in our Children's Room. It's a wonderful opportunity for children to make friends, caregivers to connect, and our library community to grow together. This story time will take place every Tuesday morning. Due to space, Please choose 1 session per day to attend. Essex Library programs are free and open to the public. […]

Program designed for caregivers and their child, age birth – 2. Sharing in playtime is an excellent way to help children build social skills, promote learning, and discover that the library is a destination for fun! Children will have the opportunity to practice skills such as: following directions, socializing with others, using language, and using small and large muscles. Come meet new friends, bond with your little one, and explore the many resources your neighborhood library has to offer! What to Expect: The Essex Library children’s room already has amazing toys for all ages, such as our train table, our sensory book collection, and our many puzzles! During baby playtime, caregivers are encouraged to explore the library’s existing toy collection, and extra items will be set up around the room that support fine and gross motor play – specifically for our youngest little ones! Essex Library programs are free and open to the public. No registration is required. Drop in!

Food Specials! Beer & Wine! Prizes for the winners!

Program for kids ages 2-5. Flap into the fun with a bat-themed story time featuring spooky stories, silly songs, and a craft that’s sure to be fang-tastic! Join us for themed stories, songs, rhymes, and crafts! We’ll learn early literacy concepts like colors, shapes, opposites, the ABCs and much more, to prepare our pre-school age children for kindergarten. What to expect: Each Little Learners session begins with a welcome song where each child is invited to dance and celebrate themselves. We sing interactive songs that encourage vocabulary development and gross motor movement, then read a story together. After the first book, we sing a few more songs and read another story. We conclude our time together with 3-4 craft and play centers that help children develop their early math, literacy, and motor skills. After story time, families are encouraged to stay, play, and socialize in our Children's Room. It's a wonderful opportunity for children to make friends, caregivers to connect, and our library community to grow together. Essex Library programs are free and open to the public. Registration is requested to ensure enough crafts are prepared. Click here to register.

Program for kids ages 5-12. Kids are invited to “roll up” to the library to create a delicious breakfast treat, while learning simple kitchen skills and basic food safety. Sushi-lovers and non-sushi-lovers alike will love this recipe! Essex Library programs are free and open to the public. Allergen Information: recipe contains banana, Greek yogurt, Fruity Pebbles cereal, & blackberries. Registration is required, space is limited. Click here to register.