August at the library: Feed your hobby
August 4, 2025 | By Judi Byron Update Aug. 5: The library wanted to highlight two special dates on the youth calendar for this month:
Friday, Aug. 8: Free Popsicle Day for kids and at noon, the Teen Raffle Prize drawing for summer reading will be held.
Saturday, Aug. 23: The library and Waterbury Recreation celebrate the Children’s Garden from 1 to 2 p.m. UVM Master Gardener Rachel Babin, a regular in the garden, will attend and can answer any questions about the garden. Refreshments will be served along with items from the garden’s harvest. This all will take place in the Children’s Garden behind the library.
Hobbies tend to be a theme that runs through the Waterbury Public Library’s adult programs. The August lineup reflects that, with offerings from bridge to stitchery, Dungeons & Dragons to silent reading, along with several opportunities to explore wellness and self-improvement.
Find something to match your hobbies, or check out the list to try something new.
Be sure to check the library’s website, waterburypubliclibrary.com, for more details and complete schedules of children’s and adult programs. Any schedule updates will be noted in the online information.
July’s Silent Reading Party took place in the library garden. In August, readers head to the Waterbury Dam. (See details below.) Photo courtesy of Bridgeside Books
Fridays: Arthritis Exercise Program
Stiff, achy joints? Feeling a bit sluggish? Instructor extraordinaire Pauline Nolte heads up the Arthritis Exercise Program offered by the Central Vermont Council on Aging. You might take a walk around the library, or throw balloons at each other in the Steel Room, use weights or practice alliteration (for improving your memory). In any case, it’s fun. Held on Fridays, 10:30-11:30 a.m. in the Steele Community Room. For more information and to register, contact Anne Greshin at 802-241-4840 or at agreshin@cvcoa.org. Runs until Sept. 26.
Wednesdays: Chair Yoga
The Chair Yoga group meets on Wednesdays, 10:30-11:30 a.m. via Zoom. Special note: No class on Aug. 6. Diana will be back on the 13th.
Chair Yoga is a wonderful way to get strong and flexible without fear of losing your balance in any strenuous poses. The chair is used for sitting poses and provides the balance you need for the standing poses. Loosen and strengthen your muscles, improve circulation, and feel better. Find the link on the library website here.
Gamers unite on Saturdays & more
The library gives local gamers multiple choices.
On Saturdays, Evan Hoffman is the Dungeon Master for Dungeons & Dragons and other tabletop role-playing games. This month, the group continues with Burning Wheel on Saturdays, Aug. 9 and 30, from 1 to 5 p.m. at the library.
Also on Saturdays, head upstairs at the library for Mahjong from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Newcomers are welcomed by the group and instructor Pauline Nolte. Register with an email to judi@waterburypubliclibrary.com.
And Board Game Night is the first Tuesday of each month from 6 to 8 p.m. The group meets to play Euro-style or designer games with a focus on strategy, indirect competition, and resource management. Group members are welcome to bring games -- no Monopoly, please. Pizza is served, and each meeting is an opportunity to meet up with old friends and make new ones. The next meeting is Tuesday, Aug. 5. For more information, contact Ken Boring at ken_boring@yahoo.com.
Thursdays: Waterbury Bridge Club
The Waterbury Bridge Club meets at the library on Thursday afternoons from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. They play Duplicate Bridge, where each hand is played twice, but with different players. It’s fun and it keeps your brain sharp. Find out more and sign up with group leaders Millie Merrill (802-522-3523) or Grace Sweet (802-244-7123). The group will not meet on Aug. 28.
Blood on the Clocktower
The Blood on the Clocktower game group meets on the third Thursday evening of each month from 6 to 8 p.m. It’s a fun time playing this social deduction game full of twists, turns, and trickery that engages all of the players, even if they are dead! Contact Katharine Bodan at katharinebodan@gmail.com for more information or to sign up. Next meeting is Aug. 21, with snacks.
Hand-Stitching and Fiber Arts
At the July hand stitching group meeting, Terry Griffith brought an unusual project—a soccer net—that she stitched back together. Photo by Sarah Page
For arts and crafts lovers, the library hosts monthly meetings of two crafty groups on Mondays and Fridays.
On the third Monday of the month, Hand Stitchers meet from 6 to 8 p.m. This group is self-led and the group meets next on Monday, Aug. 18. Attendees bring their projects to share and work on.
The Fiber Arts Friday group meets from noon to 2 p.m. on the second Friday of the month. All fiber artists are welcome, whether you knit, crochet, weave, needle-felt, or practice any other fiber art. Bring your projects, a snack, or lunch. Next meeting is Friday, Aug. 8.
Grateful Gatherings
The idea is simple: Originated by Brother David Steindl-Rast, the premise is to gather in homes, workplaces, libraries, parks, etc., to share your connection with others and have meaningful conversations about the possibilities of living a grateful life. How is this possible in our bifurcated, antagonistic world, you might ask. Ponder whether it is possible to say yes to joy, welcome imperfection, navigate grief, reimagine rest, and awaken to awe. Grateful Gatherings meets next at the library on Tuesday, Aug. 19, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. The meetings continue on the third Monday of the month through the fall. For more information and to register, contact judi@waterburypubliclibrary.com.
Quietly cool: Silent Reading Parties
Silent Reading Parties hosted by the library and Bridgeside Books recently received some glowing feedback from participants and wistful wishes from people who missed out on the June party in the Trapp meadow in Stowe.
This month, the Silent Reading Party heads to the Waterbury Reservoir Dam at Little River State Park on Wednesday, Aug. 20, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Rain date is Friday, Aug. 22, same time.
Bring a book, a chair, some water, and bug spray would be a good idea, too. Settle into an hour or so of quiet time in a beautiful, peaceful setting. At the end, share a bit about your book with the group if you’d like.
Next party: At Vermont Artisan Coffee & Tea, on Saturday, Sept. 13, at 10 a.m.
Judi Byron is the Adult Program Coordinator at the Waterbury Public Library. Contact: 802-244-7036 or judi@waterburypubliclibrary.com.