Friday Grab Bag, December 12, 2025

5 women sing Christmas carols. — *Yuletide Songsters. Rocky Mountain News Daily, December 13, 1945*

The Friday Grab Bag is a weekly series that highlights fun, unique, and interesting happenings in Colorado libraries, and includes news from the Colorado State Library. Let’s open the Friday Grab Bag!

Library Events & Programs

Gifts of Good Cheer

A child sits on Santa's lap. — *Geee You’re Jolly. The Estes Park Trail, December 17, 1975*

Clearview Library District is hosting a Holiday Wrap & Swap on December 12 at Windsor Library. Join them for an evening of community gift wrapping, exchanging craft supplies, and spreading holiday cheer.

Clear Creek County Library District is offering free gift wrapping stations at Idaho Springs Public Library and John Tomay Memorial Library this season. Patrons are welcome to use the supplies and space to work on their holiday wrapping.

Aurora Public Library invites teens and adults to make Lasercut Wood Ornaments on December 19 at Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. Join them in the Makerspace to engrave and cut out a wooden ornament using their new laser cutter.

High Plains Library District is hosting a Winter Wonderland Bazaar on December 13 at the LINC Event Space. Bring your family and friends for a joyful day of creativity, community, and global holiday cheer!

Durango Public Library’s Cookbook Club is having a Cookie Exchange on December 16. Members are invited to bake 3 dozen cookies and swap them to create a festive and diverse platter of desserts.

Learn to bake High Altitude Cookies with Buena Vista Public Library on December 18 at the Buena Vista Community Center. Participants will bake gingerbread and brown butter chocolate chip cookies.

Denver Public Library’s Memory Cafe is hosting an afternoon of Cookie Decorating on December 16 at Virginia Village Branch Library. People experiencing memory loss and their families/caregivers are invited to decorate cookies and share memories about this delicious treat.

Basalt Regional Library invites their community to The Great Cookie Bake Off: Anything But an Oven Edition on December 12. Explore creative ways to bake with chocolate using anything but a traditional oven — from air fryers and toaster ovens to microwaves and Instant Pots.

Make Merry Together

Grand County Library District’s Winter Solstice: Soup Social is December 21 at Juniper Library. Enjoy a cozy potluck of soups and bread while connecting with friends, family, and community members.

A conductor holds a baton while Santa plays the tuba and a snowman plays the trombone. — *Christmas Combo. The Falconews, December 17, 1965*

Garfield County Libraries invites you to the Roaring Fork Youth Orchestra Holiday Singalong on December 13 at the Silt Branch. Come enjoy this festive musical get-together with young musicians from Parachute to Aspen.

Visit Douglas County Libraries’ Forest of Stories now through January 4. Each of their 7 locations has an exhibit of trees (175 in all!) dressed up in stories—from favorite children’s tales and classic literature, to crime thrillers, mysteries and more.

Jefferson County Public Library invites you to Lakewood Library’s 3rd Annual Festival of Trees on December 12. Take a stroll through a festive forest created by the Lakewood community, and enjoy cocoa, cookies, and lively music from The Rocky Mountain Ukulele Orchestra.

Summit County Library is throwing a North Pole Party on December 13 at the North Branch Library. Visit with Santa, make crafts or gifts in Santa’s workshop, enjoy storytime, win a free book at their first ever Book Walk, and more.

Wilkinson Public Library invites you to join them for Songs of the Season, a winter sing along on December 17. Bring an instrument, just your voice, or even dancing shoes.

Pick ‘n’ Mix

Boulder Public Library’s Puzzle Competition is December 14 at the Main Library. Gather your team of 2-6 people to assemble a 500 piece puzzle. First and second place will walk away with a fun prize.

Estes Valley Library, in collaboration with the Rocky Mountain Conservancy, is offering Winter Hiking Tips and Safety on December 15. Participants will learn important tips and tricks for staying safe and having fun while hiking in the winter.

The Silver San Juan Division of National Model Railroad Association will be hosting a Model Train Open House at Pine River Library on December 13 & 14. The group will have an HO scale railroad set up all day in the Library Community Room.

An instructor teaches 4 high school girls how to tie bows for gifts. — *Learning How to Tie Christmas Packages. The Eagle, December 15, 1955*

What’s New from the Colorado State Library

Learning Opportunities

All events are online except where a location is noted.

Talking Teen Services: Seeing Our Unseen Caregiving Youth
- January 13, 11:00 am – 12:15 pm
Talking Teen Services: How Could We Serve Caregiving Youth?
- January 20, 11:00 am – 12:15 pm
Shine a Light on Innovative Practices | Focus on the Spark: Creating Interactive Lessons
- January 21, 4:15 – 5:15 pm
Find even more learning opportunities:
- Libraries Learn
- Maine State Library’s Continuing Education Calendar (note: all MSL events are listed in Eastern time). A different view of these events is available at Free Online Learning Opportunities for December 2025.

Library Jobline

Are you considering a job change this year? Check out Library Jobline for hot new library employment opportunities, like this selection from around Colorado.