In the story “The Polar Express,” only those who believe in Santa Clause can hear the ringing bells on his sleigh
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TORRINGTON – In the story “The Polar Express,” only those who believe in Santa Clause can hear the ringing bells on his sleigh, and the Goshen County Library on Saturday morning was full of ringing bells.
“BELIEVE,” read each train ticket the children made, each with a little bell attached. Other crafts included small cut outs of mugs filled with hot chocolate and decorated with white dots to resemble marshmallows. By the door, Library Board President Ellen Creagar and Board Secretary Larissa Felipe passed out real hot chocolate and cookies along with bells for the children to wear as necklaces.
All the kids and their parents gathered around to listen as library volunteer Logan Dailey read “The Polar Express” and dancers from Wyo Dance Force dressed in little aprons and elf hats with little bells performed a routine to the song “Hot Chocolate” from the movie adaptation of
While Saturday morning’s event welcomed children of all ages, Saturday evening was a different story. A band of community members provided the live jazz music for guests to enjoy while they sipped cocktails, bid on items in a silent auction and chatted with friends. Strings of lights and candles on tables lit the dim library.
The fading sound of the saxophone gave way to a round of applause at the end of each song. Friends sat down to listen to the music together and stood in a long line of party-goers eager to refill their drinks. The silent auction included an autographed copy of “Ridgeline” by Michael Punke, a basket filled with all the essentials for a literature-themed cocktail night and other gift baskets filled with games and Christmas décor. The silent auction raised a total of $800 for the library.
“Libraries are the first place and one of the only places left where you don’t have to pay anything to get anything,” Library Director Christine Braddy said. “We just exist to be a gathering place for the community, and we want to keep moving forward into the future with that.”
Saturday was the first of 12 celebrations of the library’s 100th anniversary. The library was first founded in 1922 after a group of community-minded women raised the funds necessary to get the library started. In honor of their hard work and the year they spent fundraising, the Library Board of Directors has set up a year’s worth of events leading up to the official 100th anniversary on Nov. 14, 2022. The next event will be “Sip and Paint” at the library and is set to take place Jan. 22. More information regarding tickets for the Jan. 22 event will become available soon on the Goshen County Library Facebook page.
