Events at the Library

All events are free and open to the public. Registration is not required unless otherwise noted. Additional children's events can be found on the children's programs page.

MUSIC / August 15
Traditional Jazz and Swing with The Bearcats

Leader and cornetist Joe Hanlon helped found The Bearcats for the purpose of preserving and promulgating one of America’s national treasures – traditional jazz. Known for its versatility in jazz and swing, the band will perform favorites in the New Orleans tradition, Chicago and West Coast styles, and combo swing. Hear tunes by composers such as Lil Hardin, W.C. Handy, Jelly Roll Morton and Louis Prima. Friday, August 15, 7:30 p.m.

THEATRE / September 12
Lady Bird, Pat & Betty: Tea for Three with Elaine Bromka

Emmy-award-winner Elaine Bromka presents her one-woman show Tea for Three in the Ottinger Room. An intimate portrait, both touching and tickling, Tea for Three depicts three First Ladies in what Pat Nixon called, “the hardest unpaid job in the world!” Written by Eric H. Weinberger with Elaine Bromka, the show has been described as “marvelous,” “poignant” (The Star Ledger), and “laced with insight, emotion and humor” (Times Herald-Record). Elaine Bromka – an established actress in film, TV and Broadway – played the mom in Uncle Buck opposite John Candy, and Tchaikowska with Vanessa Redgrave in Playing for Time. She won an Emmy for her work in Catch a Rainbow. Don’t miss out on this fine theatrical treat that is especially delicious in this election season. Friday, September 12, 7:30 p.m.

FAMILY MUSIC / September 13
David and the Fireflies

Who says summer is over? David and the Fireflies extend the family fun with their infectious music. Come hear songs about mythical creatures, brushing teeth, hiking in the woods, cleaning messy rooms and catching bugs. The four-piece band finds inspiration in fireflies, grasshoppers, dragonflies, and other miracles of nature – like their own children! The band, led by composer and Croton resident David Rinaldi, will premiere a new song about the Croton Dam at the Library. Children are welcome to bring their own instruments to the concert. David likes to invite adventurous fans to strum and sing along with him. Saturday, September 13, 11:00 a.m.

PRESENTATION / September 17
Math Tricks for the SAT

This hands-on practice session for the difficult math questions on the SAT offers timely preparation for students (the next PSAT/SAT tests are scheduled for October). Tricks, traps, and shortcuts will be presented, as each student gets a packet of genuine College Board math problems. The goal is to learn techniques for solving challenging problems quickly and accurately, avoiding tedious calculations. The presenter, Michael Goodman, has tutored hundreds of Westchester students and has personally scored 800 on SAT tests numerous times. Registration required; call (914-271-6612) or visit during library hours. Wednesday, September 17, 7:30 p.m.

CHILDREN'S THEATRE / September 20
Rosie: A One-Woman Play

M&M Productions presents the fast-paced story of Rosie the Riveter, starring Stephanie Schleicher. Inspired by actual events, the play follows Rosie as she leaves the family farm to work as a waitress during the Great Depression. When Pearl Harbor is attacked and her newlywed husband enlists, Rosie finds that she, like so many other women, is in high demand to fill the jobs that the men in the armed forces have left behind. This one-woman play written by Adriana Rogers is a tribute to the nearly six million women in the American workforce during World War II. Appropriate for children ages 5 and up. Saturday, September 20, 11:00 a.m.

MULTI-MEDIA MUSIC / September 20
Sights and Sounds of Southern Mountain Music

Join us for a great evening of music, talk and photographs. Musicians Tony and Marge Sume, Pete Peterson, Kellie Allen, Ambrose Verdibello and Ray Alden – experts in various styles of southern mountain music – tell the tales behind the tunes they play. This multi-media program brings two old-time southern music bands together to perform the music they love and pay homage to the old masters from whom they learned. Saturday, September 20, 7:30 p.m.

PRESENTATION / September 38
Hog and Hominy: Soul Food from Africa to America with author Frederick Douglass Opie

Dynamic speaker and Hudson Valley resident Frederick Douglass Opie reveals the global origins of soul food, the forces that shaped its development, and the distinctive cultural collaborations that occurred among Africans, Asians, Europeans and Americans throughout history. Frederick Opie's culinary history – Hog and Hominy: Soul Food from Africa to America (Columbia University Press, 2008) – is an insightful portrait of the social and religious relationship between people of African descent and their cuisine. An Associate Professor of History and Director of the African Diaspora Program at Marist College, Dr. Opie reports that interethnic contact informs both his writing and teaching. The author’s new book, Hog and Hominy: Soul Food from Africa to America, will be available for purchasing and signing (with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the library). Sunday, September 28, 2:00 p.m.