1:00-2:00 PM
FREE
Immerse Yourself in an Hour of French Conversation at the Gunn Memorial Library
If you are an intermediate or fluent French speaker, join us for an hour of stimulating and immersive French Conversation.
Over the hour, participants will read articles from French magazines covering cultural topics and current events. Guided conversations will encourage lively exchanges, helping participants refine their French while deepening their appreciation for Francophone culture.
This program is an excellent opportunity to connect with fellow Francophiles, share perspectives, and experience the richness of the French language in a welcoming environment.
Join us for a meaningful cultural and linguistic experience!
Registration is required: www.gunnlibrary.org/calendar/french-club-for-adults-4/
Or call 860-868-7586
Gunn Memorial Library
5 Wykeham Rd
Washington, CT 06793
https://www.gunnlibrary.org/calendar/french-club-for-adults-4/
1:00-2:00 PM
FREE
Book Club Selection Announcement: Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks — A Powerful Memoir of Sudden Loss, Enduring Love, and the Search for Solace
This month, our book club invites you to embark on an unforgettable reading journey with Memorial Days, the newest work from Pulitzer Prize–winning author Geraldine Brooks. Known for her masterful historical fiction—including the bestselling Horse—Brooks now turns her lens inward, offering an achingly beautiful and deeply personal memoir of love, grief, and healing.
When Brooks’s husband, journalist and author Tony Horwitz, died unexpectedly at the age of sixty, her world was torn apart. The man with whom she had shared a life of purpose and laughter—raising two sons, traveling the world, and building a home on Martha’s Vineyard—was suddenly gone. In the days that followed, Brooks found herself navigating not just sorrow but the chaos of logistics, bureaucracy, and emotional isolation that often follow sudden loss.
Memorial Days chronicles the three years of aching stillness that followed and the bold decision to seek healing in solitude. Brooks took refuge on a remote island off the coast of Australia, where she spent days in near silence, contemplating the nature of grief and the rituals that might restore her. Her reflections, drawn from personal experience and cross-cultural insight, create a memoir that is both intimate and universal—a guide for anyone who has faced the sharp edge of absence.
Gunn Memorial Day
5 Wykeham Rd
Washington, CT 06793
https://www.gunnlibrary.org/calendar/gml-friday-book-club-memorial-days-by-geraldine-brooks/
The Judy Black Memorial Park and Gardens is pleased to present an art exhibition, “A Frayed Edge,” featuring the works of Stace Dillard. This show is on view beginning Friday, August 29.
An opening reception will be held at the park on Saturday, August 30 from 3 to 5 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.
Dillard’s collage work is composed of vibrant, abstract mixed-media compositions characterized by geometric structures, overlapping elements, and a layering of colors, patterns, and textures.
This show will remain on view through Sunday, September 21. Check our social media for weekly open hours: @judyblackpark on Instagram and Facebook.
The Judy Black Memorial Park and Gardens
One Green Hill Road
Washington Depot, CT 06794
https://judyblackpark.org/art
Fusing magic with allegory, acclaimed magician Belinda Sinclair performs her theatrical magic with captivating sleight of Hand, featuring stories about magic in the hands of women. The experience is an interactive, entertaining, historical journey into the life and art of magic and its female masters.
The 90 minute experience exposes how they convinced the world that magic is real and that miracles are plausible. For adults 12 and up.
Friday August 15 and Saturday August 16th from 7:30-9:30.
Reservations are required.
THE HUGES MEMORIAL LIBRARY
35 Lower River Road
West Cornwall, Connecticut 06796
http://conjurecamp.com
Crafting History: Pressed Flowers | September 23, 2:00-3:30pm
Free
The Gunn Museum and Makerspace present a series of craft workshops inspired by artifacts from the Museum’s collections. Discover intriguing items from Washington’s past and make a project using traditional craft practices in our creative community space!
This month’s program is all about the art of pressed flowers! Learn more about the history of this craft and make your own terrarium bookmark. Ages 18+. Registration Required.
Gunn Memorial Library
5 Wykeham Rd
Washington CT 06793
https://www.gunnlibrary.org/calendar/crafting-history-pressed-flowers/
Embroidered Mini Owl Keychains: A Sewing Workshop for Grades 4-5 | September 20, 10:00-11:30am
Free
Learn some sewing magic and create an adorable plushie pal in this workshop! Participants will unlock the hidden power of the Makerspace’s embroidery machine as they use this one maker tool (and a bit of hand sewing) to decorate and assemble a tiny stuffed owl keychain. All supplies provided. Grades 4-5. Registration Required.
Gunn Memorial Library
5 Wykeham Rd
Washington, CT 06793
https://www.gunnlibrary.org/calendar/embroidered-mini-owl-keychains-grades-4-5/
DIY Dried Flower Wreaths | September 18, 5:00-7:00pm
Free
Welcome autumn with an elegant and seasonal handmade wreath! Join us for this workshop with guest instructor Karen Pasternak and learn how to combine dried flowers and greenery with a bit of wire, hot glue and ribbon to create a beautiful and durable wreath that’s perfect for displaying in your home or gifting to a friend. All supplies provided. Ages 18+. Registration Required.
Gunn Memorial Library
5 Wykeham Rd
Washington CT 06793
https://www.gunnlibrary.org/calendar/diy-dried-flower-wreaths/
Embroidered Mini Owl Keychains: A Sewing Workshop for Adults | September 13, 10:00-11:30am
Free
Unlock the hidden power of the Makerspace’s embroidery machine! You might have used this machine for monograms and other decorative stitching, but did you know that you can also use it to assemble projects like zipper pouches, stuffed animals, and more? Learn the basics of this crafting technique as you make an adorable mini owl keychain in this workshop. All supplies provided. Ages 18+. Registration Required.
Gunn Memorial Library
5 Wykeham Rd
Washington, CT 06793
https://www.gunnlibrary.org/calendar/embroidered-mini-owl-keychains-grades-4-5/
Kids Crafternoon | September 9, 12:00-2:00pm
Free
It’s a special Makerspace Open Hours session for kids and families! Watch the 3D printer in action, build with Legos, play with robots, try one of our Monthly Makes kits, or bring imaginative ideas to life using any of the supplies from the craft wall and cardboard collection! Each month will also feature a special craft showcasing the Maker Machine of the Month. This month, we’re using the embroidery machine to make fall puppets! Ages 5+ with an adult. Registration Encouraged.
Gunn Memorial Library
5 Wykeham Rd
Washington CT 06793
https://www.gunnlibrary.org/calendar/kids-crafternoon-in-the-makerspace-3/
10:00-11:30 AM
Free
Sewing school is back in session at the Makerspace! Sign up today and learn the basics of machine sewing as you make your own apron in this two part workshop series. Whether you’ve never sewn before or it’s been a while since you last used a sewing machine, this workshop will give you the skills you’ll need to take on future sewing projects with confidence.
In Week 1, you’ll discover how to work with paper patterns and prepare your fabric for sewing. We’ll cover how to select a size, alter the length of the pattern, and cut and mark your fabric accurately. You’ll also practice threading the sewing machine as you embroider a simple design on your apron pocket.
Week 2 will focus on assembling the apron. You’ll learn how to sew with an accurate seam allowance, topstitch a pocket and hem, and finish raw edges with a zig zag stitch.
All supplies, including fabric and sewing machines, will be provided. If you’d like to bring your own fabric, please reach out to the Makerspace Specialist at create@gunnlibrary.org for more information.
Please note that this is a two part workshop. Participants must attend both sessions.
Ages 18+. Registration Required.
Gunn Memorial Library
5 Wykeham Rd
Washington CT 06793
https://www.gunnlibrary.org/calendar/sewing-101-make-an-apron-week-2/
