Summer is here, and along with the rising temperatures, the Summer of Wonder is heating up!

In June, we kicked off Pride Month with a brand new Pride March right here in Philly, and we’re celebrating Pride with the Free Library all month long! June is also the time we honor Immigrant Heritage Month with the theme Looking Back to Move Forward, an opportunity to celebrate the diverse heritage and many cultures that inform our shared experience. The Free Library also joined in the commemoration of Juneteenth, or Emancipation Day. This long-standing celebration acknowledging the end of the institution of slavery in the United States is now in its second official year as a nationally recognized holiday. The Summer Solstice on June 21st marks the longest day of the year in our hemisphere, but there’s still plenty more Summer of Wonder to come!

Family Events:

This year, the Free Library will take part in Welcome America 2022’s family friendly event series, Peco Go 4th and Learn. Free children’s book prizes will be given out at these events. Look for our table for pop-up storytimes! 

• On June 22nd, families are invited to join us for a fun-filled day of sports, STEAM, music, children’s book prizes with partners from the Franklin Institute, the Philadelphia Insectarium and Butterfly Pavilion, the West Powelton Steppers, the Sixers Stixers, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. 
• On June 28th, we’ll be at Franklin Square for face-painting, story-telling, lantern-making, music,  and more celebrations of Chinese culture for kids!
• On June 30th, kids can learn about the early days of our nation at Independence National Historical Park.

For more family fun, check out some of our favorite on-going summertime activities at neighborhood libraries across the city:

• Little Yogis: Yoga Series for Families at Lovett Memorial Library
• Read, Baby, Read Storytimes at multiple locations
• Fish Storytime at the Hatcheries  
• Bird Storytime at Glen Foerd
• Summer Gardening at Donatucci Library
• Art on the Road at Cobbs Creek Library
• Teen Reading Lounge at Kingsessing Library
• Virtual Teen Reading Lounge
• LGBTQ+ Book Club at Chestnut Hill Library
• Pride Month Gittings Reading Contest at Independence Library 
• SNAP-Ed Healthy Cooking Workshops at Blackwell Regional Library
• Virtual Meditation Club

Sign up for the Summer of Wonder at your neighborhood library or online! For additional summer programming for all ages, check our events calendar regularly.