October library activities include visit by state poet laureate

A visit by Wisconsin Poet Laureate Brenda Cárdenas is among the October activities at the Niederkorn Library in Port Washington.

Cárdenas, author of “Trace,” will be at the library from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 8.

Cárdenas, who was the winner of the 2023 Society of Midland Authors Poetry Award and silver winner of the 2023 Foreword Review Indie Poetry Award, will give a talk in the community room.

Light refreshments will be served.

Youth activities 

Storytimes with Miss Amanda will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

The theme changes weekly, and each session includes crafts.

The sessions are most suitable for preschoolers. 

  The Lego Building Club, which is geared for children 5 and older, will meet from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 26.

Those attending can use the library’s Legos to design and build, then put their creations on display in the library. 

A sensory playtime  for children 13 and younger and their caregivers will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Friday, Oct. 23.  

The playtime includes a variety of tactile and sensory activity stations, and children are encouraged to dress to get messy. 

The Pokémon Club will meet from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, in the children’s library.

Those attending will get a new-to-you Pokémon Card from the library.

The STEM Studio, which meets from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14, will create floating ghosts in jars.

The monthly drop-in program is for children ages 8 to 12 who like to create art and build projects. All supplies are provided by the library. 

A Halloween costume party will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29.

The party is intended for children 13 and younger and their families, who are encouraged to come in costume and enjoy crafting, dancing and candy.

A Halloween-themed family bingo night will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 12.

Those attending will play to win candy and other prizes.

Adult and teen activities

A grief support group will be held from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Oct. 7 and 21. 

The group is facilitated by Compassus Hospice. 

  The D&D PW Bookwyrms group will meet from 5 to 7:45 p.m. Tuesdays and is open to game masters of all experience levels. 

A short story hour will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14, at the Port Washington Senior Center. 

The Friday Morning Book Talk group, sponsored by the Senior Center, meets at 9:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 9, at the library.

The Novel Ideas Book Club meeets at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19. 

Copies of each month’s designated books for each club are available to check out at the library. 

The Bring Your Own Book Club meets at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, at Cavelier Wine Bar. Those attending are asked to   share the book they are currently reading or just finished, no matter the genre.  

  Work in Progress “WIP” Wednesday will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28. Those attending are invited to bring projects they are working, be it knitting or crocheting, painting, drawing or writing.

The Teen Café will follow the theme “paranormal” when it meets from 2:45 to 4:15 p.m. Thursdays in October.

The cafe is for students in grades seven through 12 and includes snacks and activities such as games, crafts, kahoot trivia and movies.

A computer class will be held at 2:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5, to help people learn how to use the library catalog, smartphone apps and the resources and databases that a Monarch Library Card gives them access to. 

A program on perimenopause will be held at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 12.

Perimenopause is the transitional phase before menopause and usually affects women in their mid-40s. Nurse Amy Hackman will cover the basics of what to expect during perimenopause, symptoms and how to manage them and why women’s bodies change.

Port Conversations will discuss Wisconsin’s LGBTQ+ history during a 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, program led by historian Michail Takach of the WI LGBTQ History Project.

He will discuss LGBTQ+ issues, origins and activism through the lens of Wisconsin history. 

A paper arts program to make a book vase will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15.

Those attending will use provided books to cut and fold pages while creating a vase that can stand on its own.

The craft is fully guided, and all supplies are provided. 

The program is recommended for people 14 and older, and advance registration is required.

The library is at 316 W. Grand Ave.

For more information or to register, call   (262) 284-5031.