This December, get together with your family, friends and neighbors at the Austin Public Library for merrymaking and holiday celebrations. Classical guitar, ballet folklorico, calligraphy, winter movies, a Dreidel tournament, storytimes, Santa Claus and A Christmas Carol performance are some of the ways to celebrate the season.
No matter your tastes, you’re sure to find something to inspire. View events in the Austin Public Library online calendar HERE.
Central Concerts: Holiday Classical Guitar
Sundays, December 6-20, 1 PM
Faulk Central Library, 800 Guadalupe St., 512-974-7400
- December 6
ACG Community Guitar Ensemble: If you like the sound of a classical guitar, you’ll love the sound of a dozen! Austin Classical Guitar Ensemble, directed by Eric Pearson, will play a program ranging from guitar classics to Christmas favorites. - December 13
Chad Ibison & Janet Grohovac
Two phenomenal talents come together for an afternoon of masterful music making on two guitars. Get ready for sheer beauty in music. - December 20
Colin Fullerton & Ian Tuski
Two marvelous young players prepare this special program together just for us. Mozart & Brahms, Debussy & Bartok and even a few Christmas arrangements will make for a perfect program.
Thursday Matinee: ‘Tis the Season
Thursdays, December 3 – 31, 1 PM
Terrazas Branch, 1105 E. César Chávez St., 512-974-3625
- December 3
Christmas Vacation (Rated PG-13) - December 10
Scrooged (Rated PG-13) - December 17
A Christmas Story (Rated PG) - December 31
Grumpy Old Men (PG-13)
Craft Crawl Holiday Edition
Friday, December 4, 7 – 10 PM
Carver Branch, 1161 Angelina St., 512-974-1010
Get creative at this holiday after-hours craft event featuring APLs own Night Crafters! DJ Farmer will play your favorite tunes while you enjoy delicious desserts and make crafts to your heart’s content.
Holiday Book Sale
- Friday, December 4, 1 – 6 PM
- Saturday, December 5, 10 AM – 5 PM
- Monday, December 7, 11:30 AM – 7 PM
University Hills Branch, 4721 Loyola Ln., 512-974-9940
Come browse thousands of gently used books, enjoy refreshments, make crafts and give the gift of reading this Holiday Season!
Holiday Open House
Saturday, December 5, 2 – 4 PM
Hampton Branch at Oak Hill, 5125 Convict Hill Rd., 512-974-9900
Enjoy live music with the Hill Country Harpers and get mesmerized by a calligraphy demonstration with Capital City Scribes. Light refreshments will be served. Come one, come all!
Holiday Open House
Saturday, December 5, Noon – 3 PM
Twin Oaks Branch, 1800 S. Fifth St., 512-974-9980
Take a break from the hustle and bustle of the season and drop in to make some holiday crafts and enjoy light refreshments. This is a family-friendly, no stress event!
Dreidel Tournament
Sunday, December 6, 1 – 3 PM
Recycled Reads, 5335 Burnet Rd., 512-974-7460
Holiday Horror Movie (Rated R)
Wednesday, December 9, 7 PM
Windsor Park Branch, 5833 Westminster Dr., 512-974-9840
Do the holidays make you want to scream? Relieve some stress with a screening of Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale, a 2010 Finnish horror-fantasy-thriller film directed by Jalmari Helander about people living near the Korvatunturi mountain who discover the dark secret behind Santa Claus.
Holiday Book Sale & Open House
Saturday, December 12, 10 AM – 4 PM
Manchaca Road Branch, 5500 Manchaca Rd., 512-974-8700
There will be plenty of books for adults and children.
Holiday Party
Monday, December 14, 5:30 – 7:30 PM
Cepeda Branch, 651 N. Pleasant Valley Rd., 512-974-7372
Santa! Treats! Crafts! Santa will arrive at 6 PM! Bring your camera for a photo with Santa. Special performance by Brooke Elementary School’s Ballet Folklorico.
Holiday Book Sale
Monday, December 14 – Thursday, December 17, 10 AM – 9 PM
Friday, December 18, 1 – 6 PM
Cepeda Branch, 651 N. Pleasant Valley Rd., 512-974-7372
Paperbacks $1, Hardbacks $2, CDs/DVDs $1, All children’s materials $.50
Holiday Book Sale
Tuesday, December 15, 10 AM – 9 PM
Wednesday, December 16, 10 AM – 9 PM
Thursday, December 17, 10 AM – 9 PM
Friday, December 18, 1 – 6 PM
Windsor Park Branch, 5833 Westminster Dr., 512-974-9840
Browse gently used books: Children’s $.50, Adult softback $1, Adult hardback $2
A Christmas Carol Performance
Wednesday, December 16, 6 – 7 PM
Cepeda Branch, 651 N. Pleasant Valley Rd., 512-974-7372
Storyteller, Jerry Young, will share Charles Dickens’ ageless story A Christmas Carol. He will appear in costume as the redeemed Scrooge telling his story.
Holiday Fun Night with Storytime and Crafts
Wednesday, December 16, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
Carver Branch, 1161 Angelina St., 512-974-1010
Storytime is at the beginning of each hour followed by a craft of puppets, gingerbread children, masks and small drums that you can take home. This is fun for the whole family.
Holiday Book Sale
Wednesday, December 16, 1 – 8 PM
Twin Oaks Branch, 1800 S. Fifth St., 512-974-9980
Browse gently used books: Children’s $.50, Adult softback $1, Adult hardback $2
Holiday Fiesta
Wednesday, December 16, 5:30 – 7:30 PM
Southeast Branch, 5803 Nuckols Crossing Rd., 512-974-8840
Enjoy fun and refreshments at this Holiday Fiesta! Create holiday crafts, enjoy the Youth Librarian band, Echo and the Bats, and bring your camera to take photos with Santa.
¡Acompáñanos a celebrar nuestra fiesta decembrina y distruta de la música de la banda Echo and the Bats! Habrá actividades manuals y la oportunidad de tomarse fotos con Santa, así que no se te olvide traer tu cámara fotográfica.
Horrifically Happy Holiday Movie
Thursday, December 17, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
Carver Branch, 1161 Angelina St., 512-974-1010
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (NR)
Don’t miss this 1964 science fiction comedy film that regularly appears on lists of the worst films ever made. It was directed by Nicholas Webster, and it stars John Call as Santa Claus. It also includes an 8-year-old Pia Zadora playing the role of one of the Martian children.
Echo and the Bats Holiday Performance
Thursday, December 17, 3:30 – 5:30 PM
Windsor Park Branch, 5833 Westminster Dr., 512-974-9840
Echo and the Bats will play a set of holiday themed music for kids. Echo and the Bats are an all librarian rock band playing songs about your favorite children’s books.
Holiday Open House
Thursday, December 17, 3:30 – 5:30 PM
Little Walnut Creek Branch, 835 W. Rundberg Ln., 512-974-9860
Joe McDermott, a long time Austin singer-songwriter for children will provide family musical entertainment. After Joe’s performance, Santa will arrive for picture taking. Snacks will be provided. BYOC – bring your own camera – to take a picture with Santa!
Holiday Open House
Saturday, December 19, Noon – 6 PM
Recycled Reads, 5335 Burnet Rd., 512-974-7460
The store will feature live music all day, along with special items to make you and your loved ones’ holiday bright.
Holiday Open House
Saturday, December 19, 1 – 3 PM
Pleasant Hill Branch, 211 E. William Cannon Dr., 512-974-3940
Enjoy refreshments, crafts for the kids and a visit by Santa Claus.
Light Up the Season
Monday, December 21, 10 AM – 6 PM
North Village Branch, 2505 Steck Ave., 512-974-9960
Come out and join us for a celebration of the holiday season. We will have a special morning storytime, crafts, live music and a screening of A Christmas Story (Rated PG) in the afternoon.
Spaced Out Winter Movie Marathon
Wednesday, December 23, Noon – 7 PM
University Hills Branch, 4721 Loyola Ln., 512-974-9940
- Noon
Zathura (Rated PG) - 1:45 PM
Space Jam (Rated PG) - 3:15 PM
Galaxy Quest (Rated PG) - 5 PM
Wall-E (Rated G)
Come out and have a great time with crafts, films and refreshments!
All Austin Public Library programs are free and open to the public. For more information please call 512-974-7400 or visit library.austintexas.gov.
