Hanover library celebrates second fall festival

HANOVER — The Gardner Roberts Memorial Library may be small, but that doesn't mean it will have a small autumn festival.

From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10, rain or shine, visitors to the Victorian-era library will have a chance to sip cider and munch on doughnuts, buy books as well as trash and treasures, and take a chance on one of seven filled baskets, or pick up pies, bars, cookies or quick breads for dessert.

Peg Susbury, the volunteer librarian, said the Second Annual Fall Festival is one of a very few that raises money for the purchase of books and equipment. The library is self-supporting.

One of the baskets isn't really a basket at all, but an old milk crate, topped with a duct tape bow, and stuffed over the brim with items for men — flash lights, tools, duct tape, and myriad other male-oriented things.

Also being raffled off are baskets filled with books and items for bird enthusiasts, pasta lovers and Christmas. Another, Color it Rainbow, is filled with Crayola markers, crayons and paints. The Ice Scream for Ice Cream basket includes sweet sauces and dessert dishes. The winning ticket for each of these will be drawn on Election Day, Nov. 3.

The drawing for the seventh basket, Ghosts Alive, filled with Halloween candy, a Maine ghosts book, a teddy bear and other seasonal items, will take place on Oct. 29.

Raffle tickets for all baskets are $1 each, or six for $5.

More than 300 books, donated by residents or culled from the library, will be offered, along with baked goods, and a huge variety of flea market items.

All events take place in and around the library, which is located next to the town office.

Last year, the event raised more than $800.

Susbury said events such as the Fall Festival enable her to buy three or four new books a week as well as equipment. She is currently writing a grant application for a propane log burning stove that would help to heat the library. As it stands now, the library will continue its Wednesday, 9-3, Thursday 5-8, and Saturday 9-12 hours at least until Election Day, or until it gets too cold.

eadams@sunjournal.com