19^th Century Wit and Wisdom, an evening of storytelling, is planned for 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 19, at the Charlotte Hobbs, at 227 Main St., Lovell.

Whatever did New England villagers do on long winter evenings before cable, satellite, and the internet? It is not surprising that our ancestors warmed up those long, cold evenings with social entertainments from music and dancing to charades, sewing circles, and neighborhood suppers.

Jo Radner, a retired professor from American University and past president of the American Folklore Society and the National Storytelling Network, has been studying wintertime amusements in rural nineteenth-century Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.

This free event will be presented in person (masks required) and, simultaneously, on Zoom. To access the Zoom link and to learn more, visit hobbslibrary.org or call the library at 925-3177.