The library packs October with Vermont Reads events, a visit to the boreal forest, music, silent reading, Federalist Papers & more
September 29, 2026 | By Judi ByronOpen your calendars to mark the dates of October’s offerings at the Waterbury Public Library. The October schedule has a host of new free programs, continued Vermont Reads events, and several series starting up to run from fall into springtime.
Special presentations this month will feature music played on the kora, a 21-string West African instrument, and a talk by West Bolton resident Rob Mullen, whose work to explore, document, and teach about the Earth’s northern boreal forest is the subject of his new book.
A Silent Reading Party is planned; tai chi classes start up for seniors; and Federalist Papers discussions continue. Copies are still available of the Vermont Reads graphic novel, “Charity & Sylvia,” which is the subject of a discussion group at the library and the inspiration for new music created for the Vermont Symphony Orchestra that will be shared at a special library-sponsored event at The Phoenix.
As always, the library website is the place to go for the latest and complete listings of programs for adults and children. Visit online at waterburypubliclibrary.com.
Oct. 7 & 21: Federalist Papers Book Club
The Federalist Papers Book Club meets twice in October, on the first and third Wednesdays, led by local history buff and Waterbury Select Board member Evan Karl Hoffman.
The Oct. 7 discussion will cover The Executive. Some questions to consider ahead of that:
Is the veto necessary to protect the power of the executive branch, as the Federalists argue? Is that how it’s typically used?
Vermont, like most states, has several independent executive officers, all elected separately. Is this a benefit, because it limits consolidation of power, or a detriment, because it diffuses responsibility and limits public scrutiny?
On Oct. 21, the group will look at Congress. For a list of questions to consider and the accompanying readings, go to the Waterbury 250 website home for this discussion group. Discussion leader Evan Hoffman is passionate about civics education and increasing democratic participation in local government.
The group meets from 6:30 to 8 p.m. All are welcome to join any of these discussion sessions, whether you have attended previously or not. Sign up by email to judi@waterburypubliclibrary.com.
Oct. 8: Thursday Tai Chi classes begin
A new Tai Chi series begins Oct. 8 and will continue on Thursdays into next spring. Certified Tai Chi Vermont Instructor Barry Mansfield through the Central Vermont Council on Aging will lead two Tai Chi classes back-to-back on Thursdays in the Steele Community Room, starting on Oct. 8. A beginner class, Tai Chi for Fall Prevention, will be held at 9:15 a.m. If you are new to Tai Chi, this is an excellent place to start. Participants will learn a nationally recognized Tai Chi program designed to improve balance and reduce the risk of falls.
For intermediate students, The Advanced Form Sun 73 (Tai Chi Long Form, i.e. 73 positions) is a second offering that follows at 10:30 a.m. While completion of the Fall Prevention class is helpful for this class, it is not required.
Both classes are one hour, and each builds on the previous session. Benefits of Tai Chi include improved balance and mobility, strength and flexibility, relaxation, and decreased pain and falls. Classes are free and geared for adults age 60 and up.
Registration is required through the Central Vermont Council on Aging online here or with an email or call to volunteer@cvcoa.org or 802-479-0531.
Classes will not meet on Oct. 15 and Nov. 5.
Oct. 8: Silent Reading Party in the park
October’s Silent Reading Party along with Bridgeside Books heads to Rusty Parker Memorial Park in downtown Waterbury on Oct. 8, starting at 5:30 p.m. Bring a book in any format and a chair, if you like. Drop in for an hour of quiet camaraderie. Everyone chooses a spot, either with friends or on their own, to read silently. All readers, all genres welcome. Towards the end of the meeting time, readers can chat for a bit about their books.
Oct. 8: No Pressure Book Group
The onset of autumn brings back the No Pressure Book Group, led by Library Director Carolyn Picazio on the second Thursday of the month. The group meets at 7 p.m. via Zoom on Oct. 8. For this group, there are nNo assignments, no pressure, just a chance to talk books with like-minded individuals.
Find the Zoom link here. Next dates are Nov. 12 and Dec. 10.
Oct. 9: Music of the West African kora
Sean Gaskell with a West African kora instrument. Courtesy photo
Washington state musician Sean Gaskell will be in Vermont presenting the traditional music of the West African kora on Friday, Oct. 9, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Steele Community Room.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Waterbury Public Library, this program serves up delightful, catchy instrumentals along with traditional Mandinka-style playing and singing. A 21-stringed West African harp, the kora has a gourd bottom and is rich in tone and vibration. Along with his excellent playing, Gaskell delivers the history of the instrument and his personal journey of working and living with families in Gambia and Senegal, which he calls life-changing.
The Friends will be serving up authentic African goodies at the event. For all ages.
Oct. 14: ‘Boreal Wilderland’ author Rob Mullen
Vermonter Rob Mullen brings to the Waterbury library a presentation from his latest project, “Boreal Wilderland: Art, Science, and Adventure in Earth’s Greatest Wilderness,” published in August.
The founder of the Wilderness River Expedition Art Fellowship, Mullen partnered with the Smithsonian’s Arctic Studies Center at the National Museum of Natural History for this visually spectacular celebration of the world’s largest – and most overlooked – terrestrial ecosystem.
The boreal forest is the vast northern wilderness that encircles the top of the Earth. Three times the size of the Amazon, it has the photosynthetic output of over a trillion trees and is within a day’s drive of major urban centers such as New York City, Chicago, Vancouver and Moscow; its just an hour from Montreal. Yet most people have no idea that wilderness on this scale still exists.
In his new book, “Boreal Wilderland,” acclaimed wildlife and wilderness artist, expedition canoeist, and naturalist Mullen presents a stunning, multifaceted portrait of this immense and breathtaking biome. Three decades of paintings, sketches and photographs by 30 artists, along with the firsthand stories included in the project, were inspired by 20 Wilderness River Expedition Art Fellowship expeditions – mostly by canoe – from Labrador to Alaska. Grueling, mind-expanding, funny, and often dangerous, these journeys are the source of the book’s adventure stories. A resident of West Bolton, Mullen will present a talk based on these adventures and findings from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 14.
Oct. 17: Writers Wertfrei
The Writers’ Wertfrei group will meet at its usual time, 10 a.m. to noon, on Oct. 17, the third Saturday of October. However, the group will take a break from meeting in November and December and will resume in the new year. Find more information on the library’s website about this supportive group of local writers who gather to share and discuss their latest projects.
The Vermont Reads book this fall is graphic novel 'Charity & Sylvia' by former Vermont Cartoonist Laureate Tilly Walden. Cover image
Oct. 28: All-ages discussion of ‘Charity & Sylvia’
The library has multiple free copies of “Charity & Sylvia,” the 2026 Vermont Reads graphic novel for patrons to pick up to keep or pass on.
Organized by Vermont Humanities, Vermont Reads is an annual statewide community reading program that invites Vermonters to read the same book and participate in local events, discussions, and projects related to its theme.
Illustrated and told by former Vermont Cartoonist Laureate Tillie Walden, “Charity & Sylvia” is a groundbreaking biography and story of 19th-century America. For 44 years, Charity Bryant and Sylvia Drake lived together as life partners in small-town Weybridge, Vermont.
As part of the ongoing Vermont Reads events, the library’s Queer Reads group will hold a special, all-ages book discussion about the graphic novel. Teen Queer Reads leader and Outreach Coordinator Anathe Parkes will lead the discussion on Wednesday, Oct. 28, from 6 to 7 p.m.
Oct. 29: ‘Charity & Sylvia’-inspired music at The Phoenix
Each year, Vermont Humanities celebrates National Arts and Humanities Month in October with their Fall Festival. The Waterbury Public Library is pleased to be working with them again to present a musical program at The Phoenix Gallery & Music Hall on Oct. 29.
This fall’s theme is “Our Woven History,” recognizing details contained in the Vermont Reads 2026 book, the graphic novel “Charity & Sylvia” by Tillie Walden.
To that end, the Vermont Symphony Orchestra looked to explore this theme, and it premiered a specially commissioned new work, “Summerland,” by Brazilian-American composer Clarice Assad at its opening concert of the 2026-27 season in September.
VSO’s Special Project Conductor and Artistic Director Matt LaRocca will lead the musical program at The Phoenix Gallery & Music Hall on Oct. 29. Courtesy photo.
The piece is based on the Weybridge couple Charity Bryant and Sylvia Drake, as told in Walden’s book. Assad’s composition for orchestra and vocalists takes inspiration from the couple’s story, partially told by their letters to one another that are woven into the musical piece.
Leading the presentation will be composer, musician, UVM professor and Waterbury resident Matt LaRocca, the VSO’s Special Project Conductor and Artistic Director. The listening party at The Phoenix will present the recording from the VSO’s September concert and ask the question, “How do music, love, art and business fit together?”
The discussion will dive into the score, exploring how real-life events can inspire new art. It will even offer an inside look into the commission and composition process.
This event from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at The Phoenix on Stowe Street is free of charge, but it has online tickets to keep track of attendance.
Judi Byron is the Waterbury Public Library’s Adult Program Coordinator. Reach her at 802-244-7036 or judi@waterburypubliclibrary.com.