More than 600 community members gathered at the Wimberley Village Library on June 3 for the Summer Reading Program Kick Off, making it the largest attendance ever recorded for the annual event. This year's national summer reading theme, "Unearth a Story at Your Library," inspired a day filled with discovery, learning and family fun.
Families enjoyed a large petting zoo featuring a baby kangaroo and a wallaby. Due to the tremendous turnout, the library added a second Exotic Animal Show so that more families would have the opportunity to experience the program. Audience members were fascinated by a two-toed tree sloth, a spider monkey and a three-banded armadillo, which demonstrated its unique ability to roll into a complete ball.
The event showcased the strong community spirit that makes Wimberley special. H E B served hot dogs, while Wimberley Valley Radio, KWVH 94.3 FM, represented by Tonya Tyler, provided music, announcements and energy throughout the event. Alley Medical offered CPR demonstrations, and the Wimberley Rangers hosted a cornhole game where participants could win prizes.
Educational activities were also a major attraction. The Master Naturalists invited children to discover whether they were archaeologists or paleontologists through a hands-on dig experience, while the Master Gardeners helped young participants create their own planted pots filled with soil and seeds. Families also enjoyed face painting, temporary tattoo stations, visits with Wimberley Santa, a snow machine, and cookies and lemonade provided by the Friends of the Library. Wimberley Shaved Ice was a crowd favorite, serving snow cones to attendees throughout the event. A giant inflatable dinosaur proved to be one of the day's most popular photo opportunities.
The tremendous turnout filled both the library and Chapel in the Hills parking lots to capacity, even with the library's recent parking lot expansion. The library extends its sincere appreciation to Chapel in the Hills for generously sharing its parking lot and supporting this community event.
"We thought the crowd was huge last year, but this was a record-breaking attendance," said Children's Librarians Beth Jordan and Tiffany Rubio.
