About us
The City of Menlo Park's libraries offer a variety of programs, including art events, author talks, info sessions, craft sessions, music events, and more. To make the most of our programming efforts and this meetup page, we’d love for you to get involved. If you come to a program, say hi and let us know you saw it on meetup. If you have an idea for something you’d like to see at the library, send us a message. The library is a great space for community meetups and we’d love to play a role in making those connections!
See more events at our calendar, and check our hours and holiday closures.
Upcoming events
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Melanated Women Read: All About Love
·OnlineOnlineMelanated Women Read is a book discussion group by and especially for Black women. This month we will discuss All About Love, by bell hooks.
The book is the acclaimed first volume in hooks' "Love Song to the Nation" trilogy. The author reveals what she says causes a polarized society, and how to heal the divisions that cause suffering.
“The word ‘love’ is most often defined as a noun, yet we would all love better if we used it as a verb,” writes hooks, offering a proactive new ethic for a society stricken with lovelessness—not the lack of romance, but the lack of care, compassion, and unity. People are divided, she declares, by society’s failure to provide a model for learning to love.
About Melanated Women Read:
Melanated Women Read is a virtual book group that is by and especially for Black women. The purpose and focus are on inspiring, uplifting reads, and providing a safe space for Black women to speak, vent and enjoy honest and open conversation.
The group chooses from books written by Black authors. The goal of this community-based group is to introduce a variety of Black writers who will help build a love of reading in a positive environment while meeting new people and gaining new perspectives.
Melanated Women Read meets virtually on the first Monday of each month.
Monday, July 06, 2026 | 06:30 PM - 08:00 PM
Zoom webinar (register for link)More free events with Menlo Park Library
Menlo Park Library on social media:
@menloparklibrary on Instagram & Facebook
@menlolibrary on Twitter/X13 attendees
The Puppet Company: Tall Tales
Menlo Park Library, 800 Alma St, Menlo Park, CA, USCelebrate our 9th Annual Summer Puppetry Festival -- and our nation’s 250th birthday -- with a show full of American fairytales, folk songs, clever scenery, and a large cast of "bigger than life" puppets!
Our puppet host, Clem the singing prospector, will share some great American tunes as he spins stories from our colorful past.
Meet:
- Ol' Stormalong
- Johnny Appleseed
- Pecos Bill
- John Henry
- Paul Bunyan
Based on the stories that traveled from coast to coast, these American yarns enchanted immigrants for generations. Are these heroes for real or not? That’s for you to decide.
Performance takes place on the lawn outside the library.
Menlo Park Library, 800 Alma St., Menlo Park, CA, 94025About The Puppet Company:
The Puppet Company performs at libraries and festivals around California. When not on the road, their productions can be found at Children's Fairyland in Oakland, where Puppet Company founder Randal J. Metz is the Director of the park’s Storybook Puppet Theater, the longest-running children's puppet theater in the United States. Metz is the author of several books, including Enchanted Strings: Bob Baker Marionette Theater, A Century of California Puppetry: How the West was Strung, and Children's Fairyland (Images of America series).
About the Summer Puppetry Festival:
We’re presenting our 9th Annual Summer Puppetry Festival! Menlo Park celebrates the art of puppetry in its many forms, with a series of puppet shows and related events featuring beloved performers from throughout the Bay Area and beyond. Drop in for one event, or join us for the entire series.
Performances:
- June 28 | Pop & Go Puppets | Belle Haven Library
- July 9 | The Puppet Company | Menlo Park Library
- July 26 | Fratello Marionettes | Belle Haven Library
- July 30 | Puppet Art Theater | Menlo Park Library
- Aug. 23 | Possibly Puppets | Belle Haven Library
Other events:
- June 9 | The Science & Psychology of Muppet Design | Menlo Park Library
- July 18 | Shadow Puppet Workshop (Ages 8-Adult) | Belle Haven Library
- Aug. 12 | A Visit with Mallory Lewis (and Lamb Chop) | Zoom
- Aug. 26 | Film: Shari & Lamb Chop | Menlo Park Library
This free event received funding support from the Friends of the Menlo Park Library.
More free events with Menlo Park Library
Menlo Park Library on social media:
@menloparklibrary on Instagram & Facebook
@menlolibrary on Twitter/X1 attendee
Music with Los Panaderos
Belle Haven Library, Belle Haven Community Campus, 100 Terminal Ave., Menlo Park, ca, USJoin us for a free concert at the library!
Hear traditional Mexican folk music, including Son Jarocho, from the state of Veracruz; Son Huasteco from the states of Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosi, and Veracruz; and Son Mariachero from the states of Jalisco and Nayarit.
About Los Panaderos:
Los Panaderos share traditional and contemporary music, dance, and other forms of artistic storytelling by highlighting the cultures and histories of various regions of Mexico, California and beyond. Through events and educational experiences, Los Panaderos build community through inclusive song and dance parties called fandangos. Los Panaderos also celebrate the ever-changing nature of folk music to present the diversity of their community with the exploration of original compositions, dances, and fusion pieces that reflect their San Francisco Bay Area home.
This free event received funding support from the Friends of the Menlo Park Library.
Saturday, July 11, 2026 | 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Belle Haven Library, 100 Terminal Ave., Menlo Park, CAMore free events with Menlo Park Library
Menlo Park Library on social media:
@menloparklibrary on Instagram & Facebook
@menlolibrary on Twitter/X1 attendee
Storyteller Kirk Waller: Far Away & Long Ago
Belle Haven Library, Belle Haven Community Campus, 100 Terminal Ave., Menlo Park, ca, USKirk Waller mesmerizes young and old with his tales from far away and long ago.
Enter a world of adventure and fun where animals talk, sing and charm their way into and out of trouble! Kirk is a storyteller, actor, singer and musician. Don't miss the fun!
About Kirk Waller:
With a lifelong love of story, literature and the performing arts, Kirk Waller has been immersed in these art forms for over 20 years. He has garnered national recognition for his storytelling, including being awarded the J.J. Reneaux Emerging Artist Grant by the National Storytelling Network; receiving a Parent’s Choice Foundation Gold award, and being a storyteller at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee.
About Storytelling:
- Storytelling is telling stories--without using a book.
- It's an ancient art form that predates libraries, and books, and writing.
- It's not just for children!
- Traditional-style storytelling creates unique images in the mind of each listener.
This free event received funding support from the Friends of the Menlo Park Library.
Sunday, July 12, 2026 | 11:00 AM - 11:45 AM
Belle Haven Library, 100 Terminal Ave., Menlo Park, CA, 94025More free events with Menlo Park Library
Menlo Park Library on social media:
@menloparklibrary on Instagram & Facebook
@menlolibrary on Twitter/X3 attendees
Past events
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