Update (9/21/25): Mine works again after updating my phone to iOS 26. Please let me know if it’s still not working for you!
NOTE: Opening events is currently not working properly on some phones. We are hoping to have it fixed soon! In the meantime, check it out on a computer for full access or email aimee.e.holmes@gmail.com for information about a listed event.
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 October 2025
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September 28, 2025(2 events) – The Adirondack Experience The Museum on Blue Mountain Lake ADKX is pleased to welcome year-round Adirondack Park residents, with free admission on the second and fourth Sunday each month. Proof of residency such as a driver's license is required. Registration required: New York State Museum Explore the wild and wonderful world of fungi with the New York State Museum at the Albany Pine Bush Preserve! Join Dr. Patricia Ononiwu Kaishian, NYSM Curator of Mycology, for a beginner-friendly mushroom walk through the Hunger Kill Barrens, a forested habitat within the unique and ecologically rare Pine Bush. Discover the important role fungi play in this ecosystem and enjoy an engaging stroll through one of the Capital Region’s natural treasures. This walk takes place at the Albany Pine Bush Preserve and involves uneven terrain—please wear closed-toe shoes and be prepared for outdoor conditions. |
September 29, 2025
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September 30, 2025(1 event) Join us for a special screening of Equal Protection: The Supreme Court’s Battle with Affirmative Action, a thought-provoking documentary that explores the complex history and uncertain future of college admissions in the United States. As two pivotal cases come before the Supreme Court in 2022, the film traces the origins of affirmative action policies, originally designed to address systemic discrimination, and examines how they have evolved through decades of legal and cultural debate. Featuring interviews with scholars, legal experts, and key participants, Equal Protection offers a compelling look at the role of the judiciary in shaping access to higher education and the broader implications for equal opportunity in America. |
October 1, 2025
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October 2, 2025
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October 3, 2025(1 event) Registration required: New York State Museum Join Dr. Christina Rieth, State Archaeologist and Co-Director of the Cultural Resource Survey Program (CRSP), for a behind-the-scenes look at how the museum helps preserve New York’s history. Explore artifacts from CRSP projects on display in the lab and learn how they are studied, curated, and shared with the public. Discover how CRSP’s work supporting state agencies, protecting archaeological resources, and advancing research ensures that the stories of New York’s past remain accessible for generations to come. |
October 4, 2025
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October 5, 2025(2 events) Join us for a hands-on celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival, a cherished tradition in China honoring family, friends, and the bountiful fall harvest. In this family-friendly activity, participants of all ages will create their own decorative crafts inspired by the full moon and autumn harvest. Learn about the history and customs of this important holiday, share stories of gratitude and good fortune, and take home a special creation to light up your own celebration. Join us for a special screening of Calico Rebellion: The Anti-Rent War and the Second American Revolution, an award-winning documentary that brings to life one of New York’s most dramatic but often overlooked chapters of history. In thefirst half of the 19th century, tenant farmers in New York State revolted against the patroon system—a system of land ownership implemented by the Dutch in New Netherland that prohibited farmers from owning their land outright—disguising themselves in calico gowns and leather masks to demand change. Their struggle, known as the Anti-Rent War, helped shape the future of American democracy and land ownership. Following the film, the filmmaker and members of the production team will lead a moderated discussion with the audience, offering insight into the making of the film, the legacy of the Anti-Rent movement, and the descendants who continue to preserve this story today. This program is presented as part of New York State History Month, a time to celebrate and reflect on the people, events, and movements that shaped our state and nation. |
October 6, 2025(1 event) Baseball and New York City (NYC) have shared a love affair like no other—full of big players, big deals, big heartbreaks, and big comebacks! Throughout the evening, John Thorn, the official historian of Major League Baseball (MLB), will bring this epic romance to life. From the city's early courtship with the game to their dramatic breakups and joyful reunions, Thorn will reveal how NYC and MLB shaped each other's history—and captured the hearts of millions. The night kicks off with a reception at 5 p.m. when attendees can explore baseball treasures from the New York State Library, New York State Museum, and New York State Archives. State Librarian Lauren Moore will deliver opening remarks at 6 p.m., followed by Thorn’s talk covering the history of baseball in NYC from its earliest days to 1962, when, via the Mets, NYC again became a two-horse town. Afterward, New York State Museum historian Steve Loughman will take the mic to lead a lively conversation and audience Q&A with Thorn. "Whether you're a lifelong baseball fan, a proud New Yorker, or love a great story, this program promises history, heart, and a whole lot of fun," says Moore. About the PresenterJohn Thorn is in his fifteenth year as the Official Historian of Major League Baseball. His many baseball books over the past five decades include Total Baseball, Treasures of the Baseball Hall of Fame, Baseball in the Garden of Eden, and Our Game, which also supplies the title for his blog. |
October 7, 2025(1 event) – Join us every Tuesday in October for Folklore & Frost, a local documentary series exploring the rich history and mysterious tales of Northern New York. Each episode highlights historic sites where unexplained occurrences and ghostly legends are part of everyday life. From haunted inns and old courthouses to mysterious apparitions and strange happenings, these stories bring the past—and the paranormal—to life. Schedule:
Step into the history, hauntings, and folklore of Northern New York and discover the stories that continue to intrigue and mystify the community. |
October 8, 2025
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October 9, 2025
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October 10, 2025(1 event) Registration required: New York State Museum Step into the Ice Age of eastern New York with Curator of Archaeology Dr. Jonathan Lothrop on a special behind-the-scenes tour of the Corditaipe site collections at the New York State Museum. The Corditaipe archaeological site is an Ice Age encampment located in the upper Mohawk Valley, the homelands of the Oneida Nation. Since 2019, New York State Museum archaeologists and volunteers have been re-investigating the Corditaipe site to better understand its age and the nature of the Indigenous encampments. Join Dr. Lothrop to hear about our fieldwork to date and initial insights on life in the Ice Age of eastern New York. |
October 11, 2025(1 event) Join us for a screening of Tales of Gay Albany. This documentary by Adam VanBuren shares the voices and experiences of community members who built joy and connection in Albany’s gay nightlife scene of the 1980s and 1990s. Following the screening, filmmaker Adam VanBuren and NYSM Senior Historian Ashley Hopkins-Benton will lead a discussion on the power of community storytelling and the importance of preserving LGBTQ+ history. |
October 12, 2025(2 events) – The Adirondack Experience The Museum on Blue Mountain Lake ADKX is pleased to welcome year-round Adirondack Park residents, with free admission on the second and fourth Sunday each month. Proof of residency such as a driver's license is required. – Join us for screenings of the compelling documentary featuring Americans Who Tell the Truth artist Robert Shetterly and the inspiring lives of his portrait subjects. Also visit the installation Americans Who Tell the Truth now on display at the John Brown Farm State Historic Site, Lake Placid, NY. |
October 13, 2025
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October 14, 2025(1 event) – Join us every Tuesday in October for Folklore & Frost, a local documentary series exploring the rich history and mysterious tales of Northern New York. Each episode highlights historic sites where unexplained occurrences and ghostly legends are part of everyday life. From haunted inns and old courthouses to mysterious apparitions and strange happenings, these stories bring the past—and the paranormal—to life. Schedule:
Step into the history, hauntings, and folklore of Northern New York and discover the stories that continue to intrigue and mystify the community. |
October 15, 2025
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October 16, 2025
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October 17, 2025(1 event) Get up close with history! Meet Senior Historian Aaron Noble across from our George Washington: An American Paradox exhibit, explore powder horns from the Museum’s collection, and let the kids enjoy a hands-on coloring activity. Ask questions, explore, and have fun with the past! |
October 18, 2025
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October 19, 2025(1 event) – Celebrate National Chemistry Week at the New York State Museum! Join chemists from the Eastern New York Local Section of the American Chemical Society for a free, family-friendly event exploring this year’s theme, The Hidden Life of Spices. Experience hands-on experiments, interactive demonstrations, and fun chemistry activities that reveal the science behind the flavors and aromas we encounter every day. Discover how chemistry shapes the world around us! |
October 20, 2025
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October 21, 2025(1 event) – Join us every Tuesday in October for Folklore & Frost, a local documentary series exploring the rich history and mysterious tales of Northern New York. Each episode highlights historic sites where unexplained occurrences and ghostly legends are part of everyday life. From haunted inns and old courthouses to mysterious apparitions and strange happenings, these stories bring the past—and the paranormal—to life. Schedule:
Step into the history, hauntings, and folklore of Northern New York and discover the stories that continue to intrigue and mystify the community. |
October 22, 2025
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October 23, 2025
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October 24, 2025(1 event) Registration required: New York State Museum Have you ever seen a nearly two-foot-long walking stick? Or a beetle as large as the palm of your hand? Did you know that an adult insect's life span can be as short as twenty minutes or as long as 50 years? Join New York State Entomologist, Dr. Timothy McCabe, as he reveals more incredible insects and fun facts on a tour of the New York State Museum’s Entomology collection. |
October 25, 2025(1 event) – Join the New York State Museum for an afternoon of Halloween fun! Create creepy art projects, play ghoulish games, see spooky science specimens, go wild on the dance floor, and so much more. Costumes are encouraged—there will be a children’s costume parade at 2 p.m. to end the festivities. Come out for a spooktacular time! Note: This program does not provide any candy or snacks. |
October 26, 2025(2 events) Join author Mark Ferrara, Professor of English at State University of New York at Oneonta and author of The Raging Erie: Life and Labor Along the Erie Canal (Columbia University Press, 2024) to discuss his recent book and some of the stories of the people who lived and worked along the banks of the canal, emphasizing the forgotten role of the poor and working class in this epochal transformation. Brian Keough, New York State Archivist will talk about and show examples of records documenting New York's canals from the earliest Erie Canal surveys to the completion and operation of the Barge Canal spanning 1794–1958 (bulk 1817–1926) and totaling over 2,560 cubic feet. These archival documents are part of the holdings of the New York State Archives and Records Administration, part of the Office of Cultural Education in the State Education Department. Join Toss the Feathers for Musical Postcards from Irish Albany & Troy, a lively program of traditional Irish music, stories, and song that celebrates the remarkable history of the Irish people in the Upper Hudson Valley. Presented on the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal’s opening, this concert shines a spotlight on the thousands of Irish immigrants whose labor and spirit helped carve the Canal into existence. Through music, stories, songs, and slides that bring history to life, audiences will travel back to a time when Irish voices and fiddles echoed along the waterways of Albany and Troy. Presented as part of New York State History Month and the Erie Canal Bicentennial, this special concert honors the enduring legacy of Irish culture and community in New York State. |
October 27, 2025
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October 28, 2025(1 event) – Join us every Tuesday in October for Folklore & Frost, a local documentary series exploring the rich history and mysterious tales of Northern New York. Each episode highlights historic sites where unexplained occurrences and ghostly legends are part of everyday life. From haunted inns and old courthouses to mysterious apparitions and strange happenings, these stories bring the past—and the paranormal—to life. Schedule:
Step into the history, hauntings, and folklore of Northern New York and discover the stories that continue to intrigue and mystify the community. |
October 29, 2025
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October 30, 2025
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October 31, 2025(1 event) – Step back in time and join us for a fascinating 30-minute gallery tour of the Cohoes Mastodon, one of the New York State Museum’s most treasured fossils, led by NYSM Director of Research and Collections and Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology, Dr. Robert Feranec. Discovered in 1866 during the construction of Harmony Mill No. 3 near Cohoes Falls, this impressive creature stood about eight-and-one-half feet high and weighed between 8,000 and 10,000 pounds. During the tour, you'll learn about the mastodon’s life 13,000 years ago, uncover the research behind its unique skeletal features, and explore the distinguishing traits that set mastodons apart from mammoths. Discover the remarkable story of survival, injury, and the ancient world through this iconic relic of our planet’s history! |
November 1, 2025
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