We have a new calendar! We’re experimenting with including free cultural and educational events at other local and regional libraries, museums, and non-profits. We hope a compilation of these great events will be a valuable resource for our community. Click on the categories above the calendar to limit the results by drive time from the Bolton Free Library. Be sure to check the hosting organization’s website for schedule changes and cancellations. Note that some of the events at and within 10 minutes of our library are not free; these are denoted with a “($)” and costs are included in those descriptions.
Check back often for updates and let us know what you think!
Events in August 2025
| SunSunday | MonMonday | TueTuesday | WedWednesday | ThuThursday | FriFriday | SatSaturday |
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July 27, 2025(1 event) – Adirondack Interpretive Center Need to escape from the heat or rain? Join us at the Adirondack Interpretive Center Sundays at 1pm and enjoy BBC’s mini-series, Life! Feel free to bring a comfier camp chair as well as snacks and drinks (Non-alcoholic beverages only, please)! From the BBC and the Discovery Channel, producers of Planet Earth and The Blue Planet: Seas of Life, comes the newest landmark natural history series, Life. In Planet Earth, we brought you the world as you’ve never seen it before. Now, get closer with Life. Four years in the making, filmed over 3000 days, across every continent and in every habitat, with breathtaking new high definition filming techniques not available for Planet Earth, Life presents 130 incredible stories from the frontiers of the natural world, 54 of which have never been filmed before. Packed with excitement, revelation and entertainment, this remarkable 11-part blockbuster, narrated by Oprah Winfrey, captures unprecedented, astonishingly beautiful sequences and demonstrates the spectacular and extraordinary tactics animals and plants have developed to stay alive. June 29th - Challenges of Life |
July 28, 2025
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July 29, 2025
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July 30, 2025(1 event) Registration requested: Adirondack Interpretive Center Join us for a guided walk along our beautiful Rich Lake Trail every Wednesday and Saturday at 1pm throughout the summer until August 16th. The Rich Lake trail is an easy 0.7-mile loop that winds through various habitats, including a raised boardwalk through a cedar swamp, and offers views of the Goodnow Fire Tower. |
July 31, 2025(3 events) – Free for Seniors Ages 65+ (all others pay regular museum admission) Join us on the patio overlooking the Mettawee River for a lunchtime visit and a chat exploring a mystery object from the museum's collection! Bring your own lunch or plan ahead and stop at one of Granville's local eateries to grab something delicious to go! –  Adirondack Interpretive Center Sawyer Bailey - ADK Action Executive Director Many people think hunger will always exist in America. But just because we don't have the answer to this challenge on a national stage, doesn't mean we can't solve it here at home in the Adirondacks. What would be possible if we restructured our safety nets to support rather than circumvent our local farmers and producers? AdkAction and our partner organizations have been reimagining the future of our food systems by connecting our neighbors in need directly with local farms. This lecture explores how these programs impact the lives of real Adirondackers on both sides of the food system and how this model could support small-scale agriculture as a growth industry in our region. |
August 1, 2025(1 event) Registration required: Adirondack Interpretive Center In this hands-on workshop for ages 10–16, kids will learn how to build a sturdy outdoor shelter using natural materials. Along the way, they'll also practice a couple of useful knots to help secure their creations. |
August 2, 2025(4 events) Saratoga National Historical Park Looking for a more in-depth, hands-on experience during your visit? Join a Park Volunteer for a caravan-style tour of the Battlefield! Tours will last 2.5-3 hours. Meet in the Visitor Center and follow along in your own vehicle for as long as you like. May be cancelled in the event of inclement weather. – Featuring All-Day Blacksmithing Demos by Jordan LaMotheIt's time to get to work! Having a farm has always required having the right tool for the job. Join us as Jordan LaMothe returns for morning and afternoon demonstrations - blacksmithing farm tools! We will also have touch a truck and tractor, as well as hands-on tool activities for the young and the young at heart! – Saratoga National Historical Park A live tinsmith demonstration! At the time of the Battles of Saratoga, the tinsmith was an important part of both community and military life. Tinsmiths created dozens of useful items like cups, bowls, candle molds, lanterns, tea canisters, and other containers. They also provided armies with needed items such as oil flasks, canteens, document cases, cooking kettles, and even canister shot for artillery. Learn about the process and see a sampling of the many civilian and military wares a tinsmith could make! The tinsmith demonstration is weather sensitive and will be cancelled in the event of rain. – Registration requested: Adirondack Interpretive Center Join us for a guided walk along our beautiful Rich Lake Trail every Wednesday and Saturday at 1pm throughout the summer until August 16th. The Rich Lake trail is an easy 0.7-mile loop that winds through various habitats, including a raised boardwalk through a cedar swamp, and offers views of the Goodnow Fire Tower. |
August 3, 2025(1 event) – Adirondack Interpretive Center Need to escape from the heat or rain? Join us at the Adirondack Interpretive Center Sundays at 1pm and enjoy BBC’s mini-series, Life! Feel free to bring a comfier camp chair as well as snacks and drinks (Non-alcoholic beverages only, please)! From the BBC and the Discovery Channel, producers of Planet Earth and The Blue Planet: Seas of Life, comes the newest landmark natural history series, Life. In Planet Earth, we brought you the world as you’ve never seen it before. Now, get closer with Life. Four years in the making, filmed over 3000 days, across every continent and in every habitat, with breathtaking new high definition filming techniques not available for Planet Earth, Life presents 130 incredible stories from the frontiers of the natural world, 54 of which have never been filmed before. Packed with excitement, revelation and entertainment, this remarkable 11-part blockbuster, narrated by Oprah Winfrey, captures unprecedented, astonishingly beautiful sequences and demonstrates the spectacular and extraordinary tactics animals and plants have developed to stay alive. June 29th - Challenges of Life |
August 4, 2025(1 event) Registration required: Hudson Crossing Park Explore the park after dark! Join us each month for an inclusive evening adventure on or near the full moon. As the sun sets and the moon rises, the park comes alive in subtle ways, and this program invites guests of all ages to discover the secret life of crepuscular animals- creatures most active during the twilight hours. Take a guided walk through Hudson Crossing Park and search for signs of some of our quietest neighbors: deer, foxes, raccoons, bats, rabbits, and even fireflies. These elusive animals tend to avoid the hustle and bustle of the day, but under the glow of the full moon, they become more active — giving us a rare chance to spot them in their natural element. Space is limited, and registration is required. |
August 5, 2025(2 events) Take a walk and learn about the history of the Delaware & Hudson Rail Trail. The trail travels the railbed of the former Delaware & Hudson Railroad, known locally as the Slate Picker, which stretched 26 miles through the Slate Valley. This program will originate at the access point directly adjacent to the Slate Valley Museum. Park in the museum lot and meet right outside the museum's front entrance! Saratoga National Historical Park The McKrells will bring their rousing brand of Bluegrass to top of the hill next to the Visitor Center. Bring a lawn chair or blanket and enjoy the exhilarating sounds along with the beautiful and historic views.Bluegrass Now magazine described our guests as follows: "Traditional suits-and-ties bluegrass The McKrells are not...Yes, it's Grass, mostly, but there's a lilt to the tunes, a bouncing drive to the melodies, and here and there a touch of melancholy that seems to go hand in hand with the Celtic folk persona." Saratoga Arts made this program possible through the Community Arts Regrant Program, funded by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. This support was gained by the Friends of Saratoga Battlefield. |
August 6, 2025(2 events) Registration requested: Adirondack Interpretive Center Join us for a guided walk along our beautiful Rich Lake Trail every Wednesday and Saturday at 1pm throughout the summer until August 16th. The Rich Lake trail is an easy 0.7-mile loop that winds through various habitats, including a raised boardwalk through a cedar swamp, and offers views of the Goodnow Fire Tower. – Registration required: Slate Valley Museum Join us for a free program that encourages kids to observe the wonders of the natural world right in the Slate Valley! Kids take part in a short walk to collect and examine some common objects found in nature. This sparks their interest and curiosity about the living things that they encounter outdoors, leading to a sense of wonder about the beauty of nature. The program is free for all kids (ages 7-12). Space is limited so please call 518-642-1417 or email Ashley at ashley@slatevalleymuseum.org to register. This is a drop-off program, but parents are encouraged to stay and visit the museum (for FREE) to explore its exhibits while their children take part in the program. |
August 7, 2025(2 events) – Adirondack Interpretive Center Erin Hassett - PhD Candidate - SUNY College of Environmental Science––Graduate Program in Environmental Science The GPES program at SUNY ESF is an interdisciplinary environmental research and teaching program that integrates multidisciplinary approaches by having students work with diverse faculty experts to improve our understanding of society-environment-ecosystem interactions. |
August 8, 2025(1 event) – Adirondack Interpretive Center Join us for a relaxed evening of music under the stars! Bring your acoustic instruments, your voice, or just your love of music as we gather around the campfire for an informal jam session. All skill levels are welcome—whether you’re strumming, singing, or simply enjoying the warm glow and good company. |
August 9, 2025(1 event) – Registration requested: Adirondack Interpretive Center Join us for a guided walk along our beautiful Rich Lake Trail every Wednesday and Saturday at 1pm throughout the summer until August 16th. The Rich Lake trail is an easy 0.7-mile loop that winds through various habitats, including a raised boardwalk through a cedar swamp, and offers views of the Goodnow Fire Tower. |
August 10, 2025(1 event) – Adirondack Interpretive Center Need to escape from the heat or rain? Join us at the Adirondack Interpretive Center Sundays at 1pm and enjoy BBC’s mini-series, Life! Feel free to bring a comfier camp chair as well as snacks and drinks (Non-alcoholic beverages only, please)! From the BBC and the Discovery Channel, producers of Planet Earth and The Blue Planet: Seas of Life, comes the newest landmark natural history series, Life. In Planet Earth, we brought you the world as you’ve never seen it before. Now, get closer with Life. Four years in the making, filmed over 3000 days, across every continent and in every habitat, with breathtaking new high definition filming techniques not available for Planet Earth, Life presents 130 incredible stories from the frontiers of the natural world, 54 of which have never been filmed before. Packed with excitement, revelation and entertainment, this remarkable 11-part blockbuster, narrated by Oprah Winfrey, captures unprecedented, astonishingly beautiful sequences and demonstrates the spectacular and extraordinary tactics animals and plants have developed to stay alive. June 29th - Challenges of Life |
August 11, 2025
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August 12, 2025
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August 13, 2025(1 event) Registration requested: Adirondack Interpretive Center Join us for a guided walk along our beautiful Rich Lake Trail every Wednesday and Saturday at 1pm throughout the summer until August 16th. The Rich Lake trail is an easy 0.7-mile loop that winds through various habitats, including a raised boardwalk through a cedar swamp, and offers views of the Goodnow Fire Tower. |
August 14, 2025(3 events) – Free for Seniors Ages 65+ (all others pay regular museum admission) Join us on the patio overlooking the Mettawee River for a lunchtime visit and a chat exploring a mystery object from the museum's collection! Bring your own lunch or plan ahead and stop at one of Granville's local eateries to grab something delicious to go! – Adirondack Interpretive Center Matt Young - Author, Bird Products Specialist, and Founder and President of the Finch Research Network With a 92% decline since 1970, Evening Grosbeak (Coccothraustes vespertinus) was cited as the steepest declining landbird in the continental United States and Canada in the Partners in Flight 2016 Landbird Conservation Plan. From backyards to wilderness peaks, finches are some of the most exciting, mysterious, and popular group of songbirds. In this information-packed book, Lillian Stokes, best-selling author of 35 Stokes guides, and finch expert Matthew Young will introduce you to the 43 finches of the United States and Canada from feeder-favorite goldfinches to Red Crossbill tribes, to least known mountain-top Black Rosy-Finches to endangered Hawaiian honeycreepers. |
August 15, 2025
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August 16, 2025(5 events) Saratoga National Historical Park Looking for a more in-depth, hands-on experience during your visit? Join a Park Volunteer for a caravan-style tour of the Battlefield! Tours will last 2.5-3 hours. Meet in the Visitor Center and follow along in your own vehicle for as long as you like. May be cancelled in the event of inclement weather. – Registration required: Hudson Crossing Park The history-themed excursions invite kids to step back in time and explore the rich history of the Champlain Canal and Hudson River. Participants will start with a guided hike that explores the history of the river and canal, from the indigenous people all the way to modern-day voyaging through the canal. The hike will include a special tour of "Stratton's Shanty," a replica lock tender’s shanty, and share how the role of the lock tender has changed over the last 200 years. Back at the pavilion, participants will enjoy a special craft to connect the past with the future.
– Registration requested: Adirondack Interpretive Center This workshop will explore the value of drawing as a tool for learning! Drawing can be a potent way to internalize new information and investigate a curiosity. You don’t have to be an “artist” to benefit from exploring new subjects with a combination of both words and pictures. This workshop will introduce participants to the joys of visual note-taking and together we will spend time researching a topic of choice and creating a single-page educational comic from what we learned. No drawing experience necessary! Materials needed: colored pencils, graphite pencils with erasers, printer paper (at least 2 sheets per participant), pens (just regular ballpoint pens are perfect). Saratoga National Historical Park Listen to stirring tunes that eased the drudgery of a long march, or the many calls that regulated activity in a fort. Explore how drumbeats, trilling fifes, and songs created an 18th-century world of military music. Saratoga Arts made this program possible through the Community Arts Regrant Program, funded by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. This support was gained by the Friends of Saratoga Battlefield. – Registration requested: Adirondack Interpretive Center Join us for a guided walk along our beautiful Rich Lake Trail every Wednesday and Saturday at 1pm throughout the summer until August 16th. The Rich Lake trail is an easy 0.7-mile loop that winds through various habitats, including a raised boardwalk through a cedar swamp, and offers views of the Goodnow Fire Tower. |
August 17, 2025(5 events) Registration required: Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) Featuring…
Nurture your child’s passion for music! Sound All Around is a great introduction for youngsters that features a musician of The Philadelphia Orchestra and storyteller and host, Carol Jantsch. Each concert is 45 minutes long and features singing, movement, storytelling, and listening. It’s a great way for kids, families, camps, and daycares to have fun with music. Recommended for ages 3 and up – Saratoga National Historical Park The American Northern Army encamped at Saratoga Battlefield in 1777 included thousands of Continental soldiers from New England, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. These soldiers wore a variety of colorful uniforms made of wool or linen, all of which needed to be hand tailored. Their leather shoes were made by hand using a careful, painstaking process. Come to the park to see an 18th-century tailor and cordwainer (not a cobbler!) make these uniform parts using authentic period techniques. Registration required: Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) Featuring…
Nurture your child’s passion for music! Sound All Around is a great introduction for youngsters that features a musician of The Philadelphia Orchestra and storyteller and host, Carol Jantsch. Each concert is 45 minutes long and features singing, movement, storytelling, and listening. It’s a great way for kids, families, camps, and daycares to have fun with music. Recommended for ages 3 and up – Adirondack Interpretive Center Need to escape from the heat or rain? Join us at the Adirondack Interpretive Center Sundays at 1pm and enjoy BBC’s mini-series, Life! Feel free to bring a comfier camp chair as well as snacks and drinks (Non-alcoholic beverages only, please)! From the BBC and the Discovery Channel, producers of Planet Earth and The Blue Planet: Seas of Life, comes the newest landmark natural history series, Life. In Planet Earth, we brought you the world as you’ve never seen it before. Now, get closer with Life. Four years in the making, filmed over 3000 days, across every continent and in every habitat, with breathtaking new high definition filming techniques not available for Planet Earth, Life presents 130 incredible stories from the frontiers of the natural world, 54 of which have never been filmed before. Packed with excitement, revelation and entertainment, this remarkable 11-part blockbuster, narrated by Oprah Winfrey, captures unprecedented, astonishingly beautiful sequences and demonstrates the spectacular and extraordinary tactics animals and plants have developed to stay alive. June 29th - Challenges of Life RSVP requested: Adirondack Interpretive Center With the guidance of mushroom enthusiast Sandy Bureaus, head out for an afternoon of mushroom hunting along the AIC trails. Whether you are a beginner or seasoned forager these walks will help expand your knowledge into the mysteries of mycology. Walks will be held every third Sunday at 1pm starting in May and continuing through October. Registration is not required but encouraged. |
August 18, 2025
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August 19, 2025(1 event) Take a walk and learn about the history of the Delaware & Hudson Rail Trail. The trail travels the railbed of the former Delaware & Hudson Railroad, known locally as the Slate Picker, which stretched 26 miles through the Slate Valley. This program will originate at the access point directly adjacent to the Slate Valley Museum. Park in the museum lot and meet right outside the museum's front entrance! |
August 20, 2025(1 event) – Registration required: Slate Valley Museum Join us for a free program that encourages kids to observe the wonders of the natural world right in the Slate Valley! Kids take part in a short walk to collect and examine some common objects found in nature. This sparks their interest and curiosity about the living things that they encounter outdoors, leading to a sense of wonder about the beauty of nature. The program is free for all kids (ages 7-12). Space is limited so please call 518-642-1417 or email Ashley at ashley@slatevalleymuseum.org to register. This is a drop-off program, but parents are encouraged to stay and visit the museum (for FREE) to explore its exhibits while their children take part in the program. |
August 21, 2025(1 event) Registration required for musicians to participate: Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) Step onto the main stage and play along with members of The Philadelphia Orchestra for the 7th annual Philadelphia Orchestra PlayIN event at SPAC. Violin, viola, cello, and bass players of all ages are invited to play on the SPAC stage alongside members of The Philadelphia Orchestra. GUESTS AND AUDIENCE MEMBERS WELCOME! This is a FREE community event. Guests and observers are allowed to sit in the SPAC amphitheater to watch and listen to the program and should NOT register for the event. Registration is for participating musicians only!
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August 22, 2025(1 event) – Adirondack Interpretive Center Join us for a relaxed evening of music under the stars! Bring your acoustic instruments, your voice, or just your love of music as we gather around the campfire for an informal jam session. All skill levels are welcome—whether you’re strumming, singing, or simply enjoying the warm glow and good company. |
August 23, 2025
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August 24, 2025(1 event) – Registration required: Hudson Crossing Park Participants will create their own fairy houses from materials they forage on the island (no live plants) and from supplies the Park provides. As we all know, fairies are masters of disguise. Can we build fairy houses that blend into Mother Nature as well as they do? Bring your imagination and we will see.
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August 25, 2025
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August 26, 2025(1 event) Saratoga National Historical Park Saratoga Battlefield became a National Park in 1938. So how does a new park go from minimally developed to first class...in the Great Depression? Join Ranger Bill Valosin to find out more! |
August 27, 2025
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August 28, 2025(1 event) – Free for Seniors Ages 65+ (all others pay regular museum admission) Join us on the patio overlooking the Mettawee River for a lunchtime visit and a chat exploring a mystery object from the museum's collection! Bring your own lunch or plan ahead and stop at one of Granville's local eateries to grab something delicious to go! |
August 29, 2025
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August 30, 2025
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August 31, 2025
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September 1, 2025(1 event) – Experience the museum like you haven't before through a new series of audio tours, launching today! |
September 2, 2025(1 event) Take a walk and learn about the history of the Delaware & Hudson Rail Trail. The trail travels the railbed of the former Delaware & Hudson Railroad, known locally as the Slate Picker, which stretched 26 miles through the Slate Valley. This program will originate at the access point directly adjacent to the Slate Valley Museum. Park in the museum lot and meet right outside the museum's front entrance! |
September 3, 2025
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September 4, 2025
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September 5, 2025
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September 6, 2025(1 event) Saratoga National Historical Park Looking for a more in-depth, hands-on experience during your visit? Join a Park Volunteer for a caravan-style tour of the Battlefield! Tours will last 2.5-3 hours. Meet in the Visitor Center and follow along in your own vehicle for as long as you like. May be cancelled in the event of inclement weather. |