Written by Mikayla Wobrak
On the 14th day of December, my library gave to me … a festive fete at the Carnegie Carnegie!
Yes, you read that right: the Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall and the Borough of Carnegie’s Carol Covi Children’s Events Committee are proud to announce our upcoming “Carnegie Celebrates the Season” event.
For the past 11 years, our historic library has been home to this annual festivity, bringing the magic of the season to the children and families of the Carnegie community. This will be my first year getting to experience this incredibly special tradition, and I couldn’t be more excited to share it with all of you.
In the Studio, families can expect to find activity stations with a variety of wintry-themed crafts, warm drinks and desserts, as well as free caricatures. Santa Claus will even be taking some time out of the busy run-up to Christmas to pay the library a visit and take photos with the little ones in front of our grand fireplace.
Each child will receive a special gift and treat bag after their visit with Santa. There will be timed entry for photos with Santa, so be sure to get a free timed ticket from a library staff member that day.
Please take special note of the date of the event this year, as it has changed from years past. Carnegie Celebrates the Season will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 14 at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall, 300 Beechwood Ave.
In addition to this annual holiday gathering, we are closing out 2024 with a full lineup of joyous events — from weekly storytimes, to movie screenings, to musical workshops. Here is just a taste of the whimsical merriment you can find at the library this December:
• Our Teen Anime Club is hosting a screening of the Japanese animated film Penguin Highway (2019) in the Studio at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 4. This film, which is based on a Japanese science fiction novel of the same name, features a curious fourth grader on a mission to investigate the mysterious appearance of penguins in his otherwise quiet village.
Fans of the whimsy and magic of Studio Ghibli’s films or The Secret World of Arrietty (2010) will likely enjoy this feature.
• Another film screening that we have coming up is a collaboration with our friends at the Pittsburgh Classic Movie Club. At 7 p.m. Dec. 11, you are invited to join us in the Music Hall for a special holiday screening of the original classic film, Miracle on 34th Street (1947).
When a divorced mother hires a man to play Santa Claus in her department store during the holiday season, she isn’t expecting the man to be the real thing. Could this man truly be Kris Kringle, or are his claims of authenticity nothing more than delusions?
This charming film captures the true magic of the holiday season, and we can’t imagine any better way to celebrate the season.
• Finally, we will be welcoming the talented teaching artists of SQUONK (squonk.org) to the Music Hall on Dec. 5 and 12 for a two-part series of quirky, interactive, musical workshops for children ages 6-13 and their families. You’ll never find another performance troupe quite like SQUONK. Their wild, immersive, symphonic spectacles have graced stages from Pittsburgh to Europe to Broadway.
Registration is highly recommended for these workshops, so please visit our website at carnegiecarnegie.org to get registered, or call us at 412-276-3456.
Here’s to a winter full of warmth and community, and a very happy New Year!
Mikayla Wobrak is the children’s librarian at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall.