The James Prendergast Library, located at 509 Cherry St., will be hosting a Community Block Party from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 21. Submitted photo

A brainstorming session on how the James Prendergast Library can partner with more community organizations has turned into a block party.

The library, located at 509 Cherry St., will host a Community Block Party on Saturday, May 21, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event will include lawn games, outdoor storytimes, crafts, a plant swap, a drumming workshop, free children’s books and Makerspace activities. In addition to library-run programs, 36 community organizations will participate with informational tables and activities.

“We have developed such great partnerships with community organizations and this is an opportunity to feature them. They’re doing such great work,” said Jennifer Champ, library community outreach and programming manager. “We wanted to bring them all together and have a day where the community could come out and get to know the organizations and programs at the library. We thought the public library would be a great place to do that. It’s an opportunity for everyone to come down and have fun with their family. There will be activities for all ages.”

Champ said while library officials were working on the Murray L. Bob Community Education Initiative, they started a partnership with the Audubon Community Nature Center and Infinity Visual and Performing Arts to host nature and sustainability classes, nature play days, drum workshops, and art and craft classes.

“We started brainstorming that there are so many great community organizations we want to also work with to have new partnerships,” she said. “Hopefully new partnerships with grow and we will get to know each other.”

The block party is free to the community and will be held rain or shine. If it does rain, the community organizations and activities will be moved inside the library. If it’s a beautiful day, the activities will happen outside the library, including on most of Cherry Street in front of the library. Champ said the library’s parking lot will be accessible from Sixth Street. She said the food truck Foodies Sweets-N-Eats will be at the block party, with 5% of their proceeds going to the library’s summer reading program.

During the block party, the second annual Jim Roselle Community Scavenger Hunt will also be happening. Scavenger hunt teams can participate by donating $20 to the library, with the proceeds benefiting outreach programs. Teams can order tickets to participate in the scavenger hunt at the library, the library’s website prendergastlibrary.org or on the day of the block party.

Champ said one of the library’s outreach programs that will benefit from the scavenger hunt is the Summer Reading in the Parks Program, which will start June 30 and operate through Aug. 18. Each Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., library officials will host the summer reading program either at Jackson-Taylor, Bergman, Allen or Lillian Dickson parks.

“I would like to thank all the community organizations that will be coming to the block party,” Champ said. “Also, I would like to thank the sponsors – Lane Women’s Health Group, Spectrum Eyecare and PACE Promotional Solutions.”

For more information about the block party and scavenger hunt, call 716-484-7135, ext. 258, email jchamp@prendergastlibrary.org or visit prendergastlibrary.org/community-block-party.