Halloween is right around the corner, and St. John the Baptist Parish Libraries have a couple of programs lined up to celebrate.

The Reserve Library will host a “Halloween Cookie Haunted House” at 6 p.m. Monday for children ages 5 and up. They will also host a “Halloween Mask Make & Take” on Halloween Day. Patrons of all ages are invited to attend.

Families are invited to the Central Library at 5 p.m. Tuesday for a “Trunk or Treat.” Patrons can decorate their automobiles and hand out candies to children in a safe and fun trunk-or-treating experience. Please call the Central Library at 985-652-6857 to participate.

The Edgard Library encourages patrons of all ages to wear their Halloween costumes and pick up Halloween bags with goodies for Trick-or-Treating purposes on Halloween Day.

It’s that time of year again, where we plan to sit down to eat with family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving. A time when the world gets to see just how blessed we really are.

The emphasis is not on giving or buying, but on being thankful and expressing that appreciation to one another. I’ve heard many people say Thanksgiving is their favorite holiday. Is that surprising?

Though it’s a holiday sandwiched between the increasingly popular Halloween and the overwhelming merchandised Christmas, Thanksgiving remains the holiday of “coming home.”

Our national observance of Thanksgiving is unique. It is a holiday for celebrating faith, family and freedom. St. John the Baptist Parish Library System will be celebrating Thanksgiving with a variety of programs.

The Central Library will host a “Dish/Recipe Swap,” at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 7. Patrons are encouraged to bring in a printed original recipe and a sample of the dish to share with others.

All recipes will be collected and turned into a book that will be placed in the Central Library’s Louisiana Room Collection.

This program is limited to 25 patrons, so please stop by the Central Library to sign up or call 985-652-6857 for more information.

Children, ages 4 and older, are invited to make “Thankful Turkeys,” at 5 p.m. Nov. 15 at the Reserve Library. Registration is required for this event so please call the Reserve Library at 985-536-4107 to sign up.

Children, ages 4 and older, are also invited to watch “Free Birds” at 4 p.m. Nov. 19.

“Simply Paint” will be hosted at the Garyville Library at 5 p.m. Nov. 8. Children, ages 6 and up, will paint a Thanksgiving drawing to commemorate the holiday. Children, ages 5 and up, are also invited to the Garyville Library at 3:30 p.m. Nov. 19 to watch a “Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.”

The Edgard Library will host a “Paper Bag Turkey Puppet Craft” at 3:30 p.m. Nov. 6 and a “Popsicle Stick Scarecrow Craft” Nov. 13 for children, ages 6 and up. Tweens and teens are invited to make “Paper Plate Pilgrims,” at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 21.

Please join the branches as they celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday.

There will be a multitude of other programs at each library branch during November. For a full list, please refer to our online calendar at stjohn.lib.la.us, Facebook (St. John the Baptist Parish Library) or pick up a newsletter at any of our four branches.

I hope you all can attend some of the spectacular programs offered at St. John the Baptist Parish Libraries.

Also, don’t forget that St. John the Baptist Parish Libraries now have a Twitter and Instagram account. Please follow us and like us!

Kearston Poché is the administrative services coordinator for St. John the Baptist Parish Library. She can be reached at 985-652-6587.