3 days ago
Sweet start to summer at Pekin Public Library's Candy Land Adventure
PEKIN, Ill. (WMBD) — Summer kicked off in the sweetest way at the Pekin Public Library, where more than 500 people and families stepped into a life-sized game of Candy Land.
The event was the library's Summer Adventure Kickoff Party, and was one of the largest turnouts in the library's history.
Library staff say the goal was to spark joy, bring the community together, and encourage a love of reading as summer begins.
'It's very important because then they can keep up on their reading skills,' said Catrina Klassen, Head of Youth Services at Pekin Public Library. 'So then when they go into the school year, next year they're ready to go. And then teachers don't have to go back and re-teach some of those skills so that they can keep up on those skills throughout the summer.'
The event was held on Saturday, May 31, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., which had the library transformed into a colorful, candy-themed wonderland to launch its annual Summer Reading Program with imagination and excitement.
Children followed a rainbow path through the library, picking up their Summer Reading Game Cards and exploring a magical land of sweet surprises.
Families enjoyed a day packed with fun, including a bouncy house, balloon artists, interactive games, and meet-and-greet moments with Sonic and Mario, adding to the excitement for kids of all ages.
Klassen also explained the motivation behind this year's program theme.
'Illinois does like a summer reading theme for all the libraries, so 'Level Up' was the whole thing for the state of Illinois, which I think is a great motivator because kids love games. So this is a great way to get them to want to read.'
Whether bouncing, reading, or racing through Candy Land, families left with big smiles — and even bigger stacks of books.
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