Ongoing Adult Classes & Events

Virtual Conversational Italian Class Wednesdays (resumes September 21) 5:30 - 6:30 PM Register. This weekly class is designed for people who have some knowledge of the Italian language and would like to improve their conversational skills. The group is facilitated by Dr. Ornella Lepri Mazzuca, a native speaker of Italian. She graduated from the University of Urbino, Italy, with a Doctorate in English, French and Italian. She later earned an MA in Spanish and Linguistics and a PhD in Spanish Literature from the University at Albany.
Slow Stitch Club Thursdays 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM Contact Carolyn at cthorenz@rcls.org for more information. Pack up your thread, needles, yarn, or hooks and join the slow stitch revolution. Any portable project qualifies: quilt, knit, crochet, felt, sew, embroider and more. Enjoy some "me time", a bit of socializing, show and share while artfully stitching a favorite project. Be privy to library tutorials and helpful services.
Gardiner Community Drum Circle Fridays 6 - 8 PM Join the Facebook page: Drum Your Heart Out if you have questions. All inclusive and for all ages. Children are welcome with parental supervision. Bring a drum/percussion item and chair or blanket. Meets in the community room. Drumming and dancing is an opportunity to feel free, experience healing and the joy of the drums. Brenda Marie and her team will be leading the drum circles. After participating for many years in Beacon, Nyack, Newburgh and Woodstock and leading drum circles Brenda is excited to share this wonderful experience in her community. Brenda has been under the tutelage of Assane Badji Sylli, Master African Dance and Drum teacher. There will be percussion items to share. To offset the cost of percussion items donations are accepted.
Al-Anon Meetings Sundays 6:30 - 7:30 PM This is a hybrid meeting, taking place in-person and on Zoom. Join by Zoom here: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/867327422 Meeting ID: 867 327 422 Passcode: 294349 Al‑Anon is a mutual support program that welcomes people whose lives have been affected by someone else’s drinking. The best place to learn how Al-Anon works is at an Al-Anon meeting. Personal contact is an important element of the Al-Anon program. Additional Al-Anon meetings are listed on www.al-anon-ulster-sullivan-ny.org and www.al-anon-orangecountyny.org.
Nature Walks with Minnewaska State Park Educator Nick Martin Fridays 8:30 – 10:00 AM (rain dates third Friday) Meet at the Gardiner Library lower parking lot. See a list of all the species of birds found on Nick's bird walks here. Read Gardiner Library Birding Walks 2021: A Summary Through Photos and Words. Join Nick Martin, Minnewaska Park Educator, for a nature walk starting at the Gardiner Library. During this program, take an approximately one mile walk on the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail and wander through Majestic Park. On this slow-paced walk, we will be looking at whatever natural curiosities intrigue the group, from birds to trees. Participants are encouraged to wear waterproof boots or shoes and bring binoculars.
Ukuleleans! Ukulele Club Second Wednesdays 6:00 - 8:00 PM No registration required. Currently meets indoors with masks required. *All ages welcome, from beginner to experienced. Join The Ukuleleans! Our aim is to encourage one another along as we have fun with this uniquely upbeat instrument. Individuals will have the opportunity to perform for the group, if they desire, building confidence to perform in front audiences. Jeff Pfeffer has been playing the ukulele for 20+ years, giving lessons to beginners along the way. He has performed locally in nursing homes and hospitals, as well as open mics and other venues. He particularly enjoys tin-pan-alley, novelty songs, and sing-a-longs, with a focus on performance.
SongClub Second Sundays 4:00 - 5:30 PM $10 at the door. Cash only. SongClub is a drop-in singing experience aimed at bringing communities together through singing original arrangements of familiar songs in a safe and welcoming environment. The audience is the choir!
Slow Jam Third Sundays 3:30 - 5:15 PM No registration required. Are you new at playing an acoustic instrument and would like to practice with some friendly, local musicians? Come join the Gardiner Library Slow Jam. The Slow Jam meets on the third Sunday of every month (outdoors) to play Old Time, Folk songs, Bluegrass, Western and other home spun type songs. Participants play at a slower pace so everyone will have a chance to learn the songs. All musicians and acoustic instruments are welcome. No audience, no pressure, just lots of fun.
Peg's Reading Circle - Book Club First Wednesdays 3 – 4 PM Go to the calendar to see book picks. Join Gardiner Library's first director, Peg Lotvin, and discuss books chosen by the group. Originally called "The Teeny Tiny Book Club", Peg and a friend started this book club almost 20 years ago.
Hybrid Blue Marble Reads: Environmental Reading Group with Joan Parker Meets third Saturday every other month beginning October 2022 1:30 - 3:00 PM Register. Meets in-person or via Zoom. Contact Nicole at nlane@rcls.org for the Zoom link if attending virtually. Read a combination of modern fiction and non-fiction works through a filter to illuminate the relation humans have with our Blue Marble, a.k.a. Earth. Explore authors who are written word artists, experts in their field, and who share their wisdom. Meets at the at the library (masks required) and remotely if unable to attend in person. Go to the calendar to see book picks. Copies can be checked out from the Gardiner Library.
Community Reiki: Individual 20 Minute Reiki Sessions Sunday, May 1, June 5 and October 2 noon - 2:00 PM First-come, first-served. See COVID protocols below. Reiki is both the energy of the universe and the Japanese system of sharing this energy with others. Recipients sit in a chair or lie on a comfortable table, clothed, while the practitioner lightly places hands on or above the recipient. The effect is of peace and deep rest for the recipient. HV Community Reiki has been providing Reiki sessions to the public since 2017 at the Gardiner Library. When the pandemic began, the group continued to send distant Reiki to one and all, each month. H.V. Community Reiki practitioners possess multiple certifications that can include Reiki I and II as well as Master level certifications in various styles including Usui/Tibetan, Komyo, Karuna, and Animal Reiki. Reiki practitioners and clients will remain masked at all times. Reiki tables will be spaced a safe distance apart and windows will be open for airflow. Reiki tables will be sanitized between clients, and practitioners will begin each session with sanitized hands. All practitioners are fully vaccinated and boosted.
Community Writing Workshop with Gracie Bialecki Meets Second Tuesdays of the month (October's class meets third Tuesday) 7 - 8:30 PM Registration required for each monthly meet-up. Register on the calendar for the date you wish to attend. Gardiner Library's community writing workshop will encourage participants to start writing creatively and learn how to develop a writing practice. Explore different avenues for inspiration via reading and discussion of outside texts, writing prompts, and reading our work aloud. By emphasizing open exchange and exploration, the workshop will leave its attendees with tools to develop their writing in the genre and form of their choice. The goal of the course is to encourage artistic exploration and writing in any form, so the classroom environment will be welcoming, supportive, and consistently respectful. While giving feedback, the focus will be on what the author is aiming to achieve, as well as the work’s positive elements and potential. Gracie Bialecki is a writer, literary coach, and workshop facilitator. Her work has appeared in various publications including Catapult and Epiphany Magazine where she was a monthly columnist. Bialecki is the co-founder of the storytelling series Thirst, and the author of the novel Purple Gold.