Children play in foam during Syracuse Public Library’s Foamzilla party last year. Foamzilla will return to the library at 2 p.m. Friday, July 19; prior to the party starting, SnoCones will be served at 1:30 p.m. Photo by Sarah Wright.

News Release

SYRACUSE — The summer reading program officially ends Friday, July 19 at the Syracuse Public Library. Adults, teens and children will all need to turn in their digital tickets on the Beanstack app by that date, or they will disappear.

As of July 9, 248 active readers — across all age groups — have joined Syracuse Public Library for the summer reading challenge. Combined, these readers have spent 336,962 minutes reading and have earned 2,544 badges.

To celebrate the summer’s conclusion, teens will enjoy a beach party from 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 18, at Lakeside Park, 1013 N. Long Drive, Syracuse. SPL will provide hot dogs and hamburgers, and teens can play various yard games. Teens should let young adult services librarian, Hanna Kunkel, know they plan to attend either at the library or by registering digitally at https://tinyurl.com/SPLTeenBeachParty.

Then at 1:30 p.m. Friday, July 19, all ages are invited to the giant Foamzilla party. Starting at 1:30 p.m., the Knights of ColumbusCouncil 6323 will serve SnoCones. The foam will begin to flow at 2 p.m. Attendees should wear comfortable shoes that can get wet. The library asks that attendees not wear flip-flops, which will slip in the foam. Sunscreen would also be recommended.

Adult Programs

Adults can embark on lifelong learning during the week of July 15. At 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 16, learn to do the Bruges stitch during knit and crochet club in the upstairs sitting area. Fiber artists can also bring their current projects to work on.

Writers in the Syracuse Public Library’s adult writing group, The Workshop, will share travel-themed flash fiction that engages all five senses: sight, touch, taste, smell and hearing. Any writer is invited to join the group.

In the Garden — a group interested in the natural world — will embark on a field trip to the Gardens of Central Park and the Warsaw Biblical Gardens at 1 p.m. Thursday, July 18. Both are located in Central Park, 225 E. Fort Wayne St., Warsaw. Attendees will meet in the parking lot near the Gardens of Central Park. Watch the library’s social media pages for any weather-related event changes.

Children Programs

Younger children can attend story time at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 17, in the downstairs meeting room. Rebekah Sceniak will read picture books and share facts about Australia, and children will make koala puppets.

The last Tween Time will be a special registration event where participants will head “Down Under” to taste test popular Australian snacks at 2 p.m. Thursday, July 18, in the downstairs meeting room. Register at https://bit.ly/3JUHiWX or ask an SPL librarian to sign you up.

Teen Programs

Teens in grades 6-12 can learn to make lucky star origami from 2-3 p.m. Monday, July 15, in the Rosalyn Jones Room. Then, they can return to the library from 11 a.m. until noon Tuesday, July 16, for a scavenger hunt around the library. Meet in the Rosalyn Jones Room to get started.