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Neighbors | Jessica Harker.Community members colored, played games and enjoyed snacks provided by the library Dec. 10 during Austintown's first Reindeer Games event.
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Neighbors | Jessica Harker.Beth Felger and her reindeer, Sven, stood outside the Austintown library to pose for pictures with community members on Dec. 10.
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Neighbors | Jessica Harker.From left, Destiney, Mackenzie and Adien Paredes, Jakobie and Jocelynn Chapdelaine, and Logan Maxwell posed with Santa Claus at the Austintown library on Dec. 10.
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Neighbors | Jessica Harker.Jocelynn Chapdelaine posed with the reindeer picture frame she made at the Austintown library's first Reindeer Games event on Dec. 10.
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Neighbors | Jessica Harker.The meeting room at the Austintown library filled with families from the community Dec. 10 where people enjoyed hot chocolate and cookies at the first Reindeer Games event.
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Neighbors | Jessica Harker.Beth Felger is pictured petting Sven the reindeer outside of the Austintown library on Dec. 10 for the library's first Reindeer Games event.
By JESSICA HARKER
The Austintown library hosted their first Reindeer Games event on Dec. 10.
The library received a visit from Santa Claus and one of his reindeer to celebrate the holiday season.
“They can stop and see Santa and take a picture with him and tell him what they want for Christmas,” said Cindy Beach, Austintown librarian who organized the event.
Along with a visit from Santa, the library offered cookies and hot chocolate for community members. In the meeting room, children enjoyed their snacks and played a variety of holiday themed games.
The library also had supplies for children to make reindeer frames in which to put their photos with Santa.
Beach said this is the first year that the library has offered an event like this.
“We did it in Boardman at the end of November on a night that wasn’t so nice and we had 135 people show up,” Beach said.
The library parking lot was packed full, with community members parking at Austintown Middle School and in the round-about to try to get in.
Felgers Exotic Animals provided the reindeer, named Sven, for the event. Beth Felger watched the reindeer in a pen outside the library throughout the night.
“It’s just a nice way to get people to come in and check out our stuff,” Beach said.
She said that the program is great for the library because many community members who attended left with holiday books, music and movies.
“It’s a really nice way for us to connect with people,” Beach said.