Happy birthday, South Park Branch! On Saturday, Sept. 26, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., The Seattle Public Library’s youngest branch will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a day-long party. Join us for performances from local music and dance groups, cupcakes, crafts, a Lotería game, a selfie station, and book giveaways.

The South Park community first started asking for a neighborhood library in 1908, shortly after the neighborhood was annexed by the city of Seattle. After decades of service by a book deposit station and a bookmobile, the branch finally opened on Sept. 9, 2006, at the corner Eighth Ave. S. and South Cloverdale, funded by the voter-approved 1998 Libraries for All bond measure. A mariachi band played, hundreds of people attended the opening, and 100 people signed up for a library card within the first hour.

“The South Park Branch is one of the Library’s smaller branches, but we have BIG community support,” said Lupine Miller, supervising librarian at the South Park Branch. “We’re excited to celebrate on Sept. 26 with the families, neighbors, and community partners who make our library the beloved space that it is. Join us!”

“The South Park Branch is so special,” says longtime patron Shawna Murphy, who moved to the neighborhood in 2004 in part because she saw that a branch was slated to open there. “The staff are so friendly and kind, and they really care about their patrons. People will come in just to chat and see neighbors.”

Like all library events, the 20th anniversary celebration is free and open to all. Like many South Park events, the program will be presented in Spanish and English. The celebration is supported by donors to The Seattle Public Library Foundation.

🎈South Park 20th anniversary celebration / Celebración del 20.º aniversario de la sucursal de South Park

When: Saturday, Sept. 26, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: South Park Branch, 8604 Eighth Ave. S., Seattle, 206-615-1688

Schedule:

Noon: Welcome remarks and cupcakes
1 p.m.: Tlalokan Aztec Dance performance
2 p.m.: Ruta Xclusiva performance
3 p.m.: Joyas Mestizas Folklórico performance
4 p.m.: Lotería game
All day long: Arts and crafts, selfie booth, and The Friends of The Seattle Public Library will be onsite to give out books and Library bags. Cupcakes, books, and bags will be available while supplies last.