On Oct. 7, the Hughesville Area Public Library hosted an event that previously would have been unheard of in earlier years. A Wine and Paint night, an event designed to reach out to adults in the community, provide a point of connection, a place of relaxation, and ultimately a bit of fun in an otherwise dull work week for adults in the Hughesville community.

But what led to this kind of event? What all happened to make this come about?

Molly Nesselrodt, newly-appointed Library Director at Hughesville Area Public Library, saw a need for more adult engagement in the library, what with the abundance of both young and older children’s programming, and originally broached the idea for the underserved part of the community back in July. This, she thought, would serve a common interest in providing an event strictly for adults, while also supporting local wineries in the area.

The motion passed with no opposition from the Board of Trustees. There were, as with anything involving alcohol, guidelines that were to be strictly adhered to in this event so as to preserve the health and safety of all participants, and in accordance with both local and federal laws. The guidelines were that there was only one glass of wine allowed per person over the age of 21, it must be consumed only during the specified event and not during any other time, and it must be served by an employee at the Hughesville Library.

According to the Facebook event page on Hughesville Area Public Library’s profile, 128 people responded that they were interested, and 29 people attended the event. Due to the popularity of the event, they added a second date in addition to the first, and continued it on October 14, as well at the same time in the evening.

With the small entry fee to secure your spot on the sign-up sheet and to help pay for materials, it really was a no-brainer for the participants. Jarrett Dorman, a resident of Hughesville and participant in the event, has this to say about it;

“I really enjoyed the wine and paint night with my grandmother, mom, and one of my friends. We signed up when we saw the advertisement on Facebook, never having done a wine and paint night before. We were so excited and really enjoyed the fall pictures we painted and being a part of a group from the community! We ended up knowing almost the whole group and had a great time with everyone. It’s nice to see events like this in our community and have a place like the library hosting these events for our area. The winery’s selection was also great, and we’ve planned a time to go visit Gellella Terra Vineyard in the future. We’re looking forward to future events at the HAPL!”

With the coolness of winter coming soon, there is a plan for another one of these events in December. If you are interested, be sure to keep an eye on the Hughesville Area Public Library’s Facebook page, give them a call, or visit them in person. The warm and friendly staff will be more than happy to assist you in getting you signed up for this cheerful festive event come December. In the meantime, Happy Thanksgiving, and we hope to see you soon!