Upcoming Events › Adult Programs
June 1, 2013 – August 31, 2013
GR Reads: Summer Reading All Grown Up
Summer is here and it is time to take another journey down the road of great books. Our smart librarians have picked ten books that will take you to unexpected places and have planned unique events that will have you exploring our exceptional community. So pack your library bag full of books and grab a friend, we are setting off down the road together and getting there is half the fun. The Grand Rapids Public Library has once again partnered with area organizations to present the fourth annual GR Reads, a summer reading program designed for adults. Come discover the ten interesting books that our smart staff have selected, or join your neighbors for fun, informative programs that are inspired by the books. For a complete list of books and events, visit www.grpl.org/grreads or stop by any GRPL library. Funded by the Grand Rapids Public Library Foundation.
June 19, 2013
Cocktails, History, and Practical Mixology for the Home Tippler
Join The Starving Artist Torrence O’Haire in a three-part series that explores creating classic cocktails with a foodie twist.
Bitters, Herbals, and Home Liqueur Making
Wednesday, June 12, 2013, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
What are bitters? Why are they important in cocktail culture? And why are they so dang bitter?!? Join The Starving Artist at SpeakEZ Lounge for a class and demonstration in understanding, buying, making, and using herbal liqueurs, from the classic to the modern, and discover how to take your cocktail parties to the next level!
Gin Style, Use, and Practice
Wednesday, June 19, 2013 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
“I hate gin!” “It tastes like pine trees!” “I’d rather drink cleaning products!” Join The Starving Artist at SpeakEZ Lounge and discover the true value of gin as a cocktail ingredient and as a modern artisanal movement. Not all gin tastes like juniper! Explore the different styles and varieties, and learn to make a classic gin cocktail unlike anything you’re accustomed to!
Whiskeys and their Possibilities
Wednesday, June 26, 2013, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Bourbon, scotch, Tennessee, rye, corn, white, Canadian, Irish . . .how can you keep them all straight? Join The Starving Artist at SpeakEZ Lounge for a class and lecture on understanding and using whiskey in cocktails from the classic to the modern. Explore what each whiskey can do in a cocktail and exactly how to make your ingredients shine.
June 20, 2013
Author Visit: Mark Binelli Talks Detroit City
Join our special guest Mark Binelli as he reads from his book, Detroit City Is the Place to Be. Binelli will highlight some of the movements taking place among the post-industrial landscape of Detroit. Like a blank canvas, Detroit is beginning to be seen by many as a place of possibility. While some see empty lots, other see fields for planting. In addition to reading from his book, Binelli will give a presentation on Detroit as it is today and what the future may hold for it. A book signing will follow the presentation.
June 22, 2013
GR Reads: The Movies – IMAX Space Station
Some 220 miles above Earth lies the International Space Station, a one-of-a-kind space laboratory that 16 nations came together to build. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the making of this extraordinary structure in the spectacular IMAX film. Viewers will blast off from Kennedy Space Center and the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Russia for this incredible journey. The first 50 attendees who show their GRPL library card will get in free.
June 24, 2013
Urban Photo Safari
Photographer Dianne Carroll Burdick will lead a photography walk through downtown Grand Rapids. Learn tips and tricks for shooting urban architecture and discover interesting vantage points and compositions. Bring your own camera. All skill levels welcome. Participants can submit their favorite photo from the photo safari to be displayed at the Main Library during ArtPrize.
June 25, 2013
Green Buildings of Grand Rapids
What are green buildings? Why all the hype about them and what are the benefits? Why is Grand Rapids a nationally recognized leader in the green building and sustainability movement? Renae Hesselink, founding member of the West Michigan chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council and vice president of sustainability at Nichols Paper will answer these questions and more. Come learn tips that will help make your home healthier and a more efficient place to live.
June 26, 2013
Cocktails, History, and Practical Mixology for the Home Tippler
Join The Starving Artist Torrence O’Haire in a three-part series that explores creating classic cocktails with a foodie twist.
Bitters, Herbals, and Home Liqueur Making
Wednesday, June 12, 2013, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
What are bitters? Why are they important in cocktail culture? And why are they so dang bitter?!? Join The Starving Artist at SpeakEZ Lounge for a class and demonstration in understanding, buying, making, and using herbal liqueurs, from the classic to the modern, and discover how to take your cocktail parties to the next level!
Gin Style, Use, and Practice
Wednesday, June 19, 2013 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
“I hate gin!” “It tastes like pine trees!” “I’d rather drink cleaning products!” Join The Starving Artist at SpeakEZ Lounge and discover the true value of gin as a cocktail ingredient and as a modern artisanal movement. Not all gin tastes like juniper! Explore the different styles and varieties, and learn to make a classic gin cocktail unlike anything you’re accustomed to!
Whiskeys and their Possibilities
Wednesday, June 26, 2013, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Bourbon, scotch, Tennessee, rye, corn, white, Canadian, Irish . . .how can you keep them all straight? Join The Starving Artist at SpeakEZ Lounge for a class and lecture on understanding and using whiskey in cocktails from the classic to the modern. Explore what each whiskey can do in a cocktail and exactly how to make your ingredients shine.
June 27, 2013
Find the Stars, Constellations, and Planets: No Batteries Required
GVSU Professor Douglas Furton will lead this workshop focused on how to use a planisphere to predict the positions of the sun, stars, and planets any time of the day. A planisphere is a celestial slide rule of sorts, a paper-and-pencil tool that sets up a map of the sky past, present and future. Planispheres will be provided, bring only your thinking cap and curiosity.
July 8, 2013
Michigan’s Roadside Attractions
If you have traveled on Michigan’s highways and byways, chances are that you’ve stopped at places like Castle Rock, seen Paul Bunyan, and defied gravity at the Mystery Spot. Tourist attractions like these sprang up on the roadside landscape as Michigan expanded its highway system from the 1930s through the 1970s. Pull off the road for some fun, interesting, and sometimes quirky experiences! Relive memories of visiting natural and man-made wonders—from deer parks to dinosaur gardens; from scenic sand dunes to the world’s largest Indian; from mine shafts to scenic towers. Stop for pie at the Cherry Hut, cross the Bridge for a pasty, and enjoy a Jones ice cream cone in Baldwin. Don’t forget to bring home some souvenir pennants and a pair of moccasins. Take a trip with authors M. Christine Byron and Thomas R. Wilson along Michigan’s roads and visit some of the state’s iconic roadside attractions. Some places are long gone; others still lure travelers off the road.
July 9, 2013
Ordinary People Can Do Amazing Things
In 2011, Don Kern broke the world record for running marathons on all seven continents. He completed this challenge in 25 days, 18 hours, 10 minutes. Don has run 239 marathons, in all 50 states (twice) and all seven continents (four times). Have you ever wanted to challenge yourself to do something extraordinary? Don Kern will share his story of how he grew up as a non-athlete and went on to set a world record and how you can too!
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