School is nearly out for the summer, and we have activities galore in store for the kids and more!

We will be kicking off the start of the summer break with our Library Block Party. Starting at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 22, the Jim Lucas Checotah Public Library is the place to be. Local food and beverage vendors, including The Taco Bandit, Miss Tammy’s Lunch Wagon, Gilligan’s Hawaiian Ice, and the Checotah Perk will be serving up warm drinks, hot meals, frozen treats, and everything in between. We will have various outdoor games available to play. There will be several local artists setting up tables to display their work and vendors selling their crafts. During all of this, we will also have some live music, courtesy of the legendary Selby Minner and the Blues Band. We have slots available for more arts and crafts vendors, as well as a musical act. Contact the library if you are interested in participating in our summer kickoff event.

The Block Party is just the beginning of the summer fun.

Throughout June and July we have many additional programs to keep the whole family busy. This year’s theme for the Summer Reading Program is “Color Our World.” New arts and craft activities will be occurring at least once every week.

In June, illustrator Rich Davis will show us how to draw, the Science Museum of Oklahoma will be stopping by, the Funky Monkey will dazzle us with a magic act, Glow Circus is going to light up the library, and Pawsitively Wild has some adorable animals for us to witness. We will host a dancing competition and a sidewalk chalk-drawing contest, a Spare Parts construction activity, painting activities with Laura, “Crafternoons” with Ronell, and an open mic night. We have additional activities planned for July, but not enough space here to discuss them. Look out for our next column at the end of May, or swing by the library for a full list of the summer programming.

Learn more about our services, events, and programs at the Jim Lucas Checotah Public Library at eols. org/checotah or follow us on Facebook.

Heath Allen is the Library Assistant for the Jim Lucas Checotah Public Library, a branch of the Eastern Oklahoma Library System. Contact Heath at hallen@eols.org.