Join local author and artist Ally Coburn Piper for story time, followed by an open creative craft. Ally will read from her debut book, Golden Hour: A Cape Cod Story. A “lyrical love letter to Cape Cod,” Golden Hour features mesmerizing photos of Cape Cod scenes taken by Ally. Admission is free. Sponsored by the Friends of Snow Library.

Meet in the children’s area for stories, songs and crafts. All are welcome. Sponsored by the Friends of Snow Library.

Come to the Craine Room to see actor and educator Stephen Collins perform Sailing Towards My Father, a one-man play that chronicles the life of Moby-Dick author Herman Melville, written and directed by Carl A. Rossi. The play dramatizes Melville’s life from youth to old age, concentrating on his evolution as a writer and his complex relations with religion, his parents and siblings, his wife and children, and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Stephen’s passionate performance will bring this classic author to life in front of your very eyes. Admission is free and all are welcome. Sponsored by the Grace Anslow Trust.

John Whelan, Former WOMR radio host, author, and Great American Songbook presenter, will conclude this three-part course on classic country music, accompanied by Peter Gaines on piano and vocals, with the additional vocals of Denise Page. Composers/singers like Hank Williams, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, and many others will be featured. John will tell stories and show videos, accompanied by live performances featuring Peter and Denise.

Joseph Auciello will teach the final class of this four-part course on The Great Gatsby. Published in 1925, The Great Gatsby is a novel in which an extravagantly wealthy young man embarks on a doomed quest to reignite the sparks of a long-lost love. Joseph will conclude his examination of what a Jazz Age story of love and obsession, money and greed, class and status, innocence and corruption, can teach us about our era.

Join us in the Craine Room for a dance party suitable for all ages! Light refreshments will be provided. Admission is free and all are welcome.

Visit a Climate Coach in the Quiet Study Room to discuss ways to combat climate change and save money and energy in ways that work best for you. Orleans Climate Action Network and the Orleans Energy and Climate Committee, partnering with the Cape Light Compact, are launching a new service to help residents save energy and money. Climate coaches are volunteers trained to help residents explore and plan for energy actions to save money, make our homes more comfortable, or address climate change. For more information, or to arrange to meet with a coach by phone, email orleansclimateaction@gmail.org.

Join Dawn Spunzo, teacher and Yin yoga instructor, for an easy-to-remember yin, pranayama, and meditation practice. Learn simple techniques to help develop more profound awareness and patience of your body and mind to better prepare yourself for the unfolding of life. Take time to relax and “stretch out” the stress that has accumulated in your connective tissue and reset to better deal with any craziness that may lie ahead.

Join Gretel Norgeot, farmer and founder/owner of Orleans Farmers’ Market, for this standalone class on how to improve your lawn by improving your soil. Learn to create a healthier lawn by changing your lawn care habits and creating a “soil sponge,” a home to microbes that help plants grow, stay healthy, and reduce runoff during extreme rains.

Come to the Craine Room for original poetry readings by four local poets as part of Arts Week Orleans. Readings will be given by the following poets: Elizabeth Bradfield, a Brandeis Professor, author of seven books, naturalist, and field assistant, Christine Jones, an editor, author, and founder of Lily Poetry Review, Kaimi Rose Lum, a journalist, librarian, and poet, and Natalia Redyk, a poet with many passions. Admission is free and all are welcome. Presented by the Orleans Cultural District.

Join Youth Services Librarian Kim Auclair in the Craine Room for an hour of building with Legos. All materials will be provided. No registration needed.

This weekly playgroup for preschoolers will gather in the Craine Room. Meet other parents and caregivers while your little ones make new friends and climb, swing and slide on our indoor play structure. Drop in; no registration necessary.

In this standalone class, Scott Harshbarger, former Attorney General of Massachusetts, will continue the conversation from where he left off in the 2024 Fall Lifetime Learning session. The class will continue its discussion and evaluation of the strength and fragility of democracy and the rule of law in 2025 as the new and former president transitions into office and seeks to implement the campaign agenda and promises that seem to have the approval of a majority of our fellow citizens who voted.

Meet in the children’s area for stories, songs and crafts. All are welcome. Sponsored by the Friends of Snow Library.

The second class of this three-part course will begin by meeting at Snow Library to continue its exploration of local artists and their galleries. The course is limited to 30 people. Driving is required but carpooling arrangements are to be determined. This class will focus on a visiting artist and a gallery in Orleans.

Steve and Jeff Bornemeier will conclude their “Novels & Ideas” course with a discussion of Norwegian Wood (1987) by Haruki Murakami. This course focuses on the theme of “strange actors” over the span of four classes.

John Whelan, Former WOMR radio host, author, and Great American Songbook presenter, will continue to teach this three-part course on classic country music, accompanied by Peter Gaines on piano and vocals, with the additional vocals of Denise Page. Composers/singers like Hank Williams, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, and many others will be featured. John will tell stories and show videos, accompanied by live performances featuring Peter and Denise.

Joseph Auciello will teach the third class of this four-part course on The Great Gatsby. Published in 1925, The Great Gatsby is a novel in which an extravagantly wealthy young man embarks on a doomed quest to reignite the sparks of a long-lost love. The class will continue to read and talk together about what a Jazz Age story of love and obsession, money and greed, class and status, innocence and corruption, can teach us about our era.

Lois Karfunkel will present this final class of her four-part course on the history of women in art. The class will conclude its discussion of the historical role of women in art history as we know it and the factors — social, economic, religious, political, and cultural — that may have led to the marginalization of women artists. Lois will finish her review of art history from early civilization to modern times as she shows the extent of gender bias in the art world.

Ron Petersen presents the second half of his two-part course on how American independence came about. 2026 will mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. With a focus on Massachusetts, this course will explore the people, events, and reasons that led to the separation of the American colonies from Britain.

Marc Strauss presents the final class of his four-part Zoom-only course that explores how Hitchcock, the Master of Suspense, soundly warned the world about the false and seductive narratives of authoritarianism in four war movies. This class will focus on the 1944 film Lifeboat. Through introductory historical context, the showing of the film, and guided discussion afterward, Marc will identify and elaborate on the stories and characters in an effort to expose the bewitching appeal and empty promise of autocracy and despotism.

Get ready for a fun-filled class with Ms. Kerry’s music and movement program! With singing, dancing, and plenty of movement, your child will have a blast while developing important motor skills and coordination. This program is great for children 1-5 years of age. Admission is free. Sponsored by the Friends of Snow Library. Learn more about Ms. Kerry on her website: musicbykerry.com

Join local poet Judith Partelow in the Craine Room for a poetry workshop. Listen to some poetry, write from prompts, and share your work if you’re up for it. This workshop is perfect for beginners and intermediate writers. If you’ve wanted to try writing your own poetry but never took that first step, this is your chance! Please bring a notebook and pen or pencil to write with, or, if necessary, a laptop. Sponsored by the Grace Anslow Trust. Admission is free and all are welcome. Registration is encouraged, but not required. To register or for more information, contact Judith at judithpartelow@gmail.com.

This weekly playgroup for preschoolers will gather in the Craine Room. Meet other parents and caregivers while your little ones make new friends and climb, swing and slide on our indoor play structure. Drop in; no registration necessary.

This class does not meet at Snow Library. This three-part course will involve visiting six venues featuring local artists and their galleries. The course is limited to 30 people. Driving is required but carpooling arrangements are to be determined. This first class will visit two galleries in Barnstable Village along 6A: The Cape Cod Art Center and Barnstable Pottery.

George Scharr, Arts Department Chair and Director of Music at Falmouth Academy, will teach the final class of this two-part course on Beethoven and the importance of music. He’ll conclude his examination of Beethoven and the role of music in our lives and how it can help us to navigate, cope, and heal during both good and challenging times.

Stew Goodwin will teach the final class of his Zoom-only course on populist autocrats. Populist authoritarians have been sprinkled throughout history. They’ve shared certain characteristics which might be informative for us. In the previous class, Stew discussed the 15th-century Florentine friar Girolamo Savonarola. In this class, he will examine the Louisiana politician of the 1920s and early 30s, Huey Long.

Meet in the children’s area for stories, songs and crafts. All are welcome. Sponsored by the Friends of Snow Library.

John Whelan, Former WOMR radio host, author, and Great American Songbook presenter, will teach this three-part course on classic country music, accompanied by Peter Gaines on piano and vocals, with the additional vocals of Denise Page. Composers/singers like Hank Williams, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, and many others will be featured. John will tell stories and show videos, accompanied by live performances featuring Peter and Denise.

Joseph Auciello will teach the second class of this four-part course on The Great Gatsby. Published in 1925, The Great Gatsby is a novel in which an extravagantly wealthy young man embarks on a doomed quest to reignite the sparks of a long-lost love. The class will continue to read and talk together about what a Jazz Age story of love and obsession, money and greed, class and status, innocence and corruption, can teach us about our era.