CRESTVIEW — As some children around town observe Kwanzaa today, their homes will be decorated with festive ornaments they made themselves during the Crestview Public Library’s Noel Night.
The library was filled Dec. 17 with families and individuals enjoying an evening of music, games, refreshments and craft-making celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.
Christmas music from community groups, including the Chanticleer show choir from Crestview High School filled the crowded meeting room.
In the library’s main section, Destin Hubbard, 8, and his friend Amirah Shiraz, 5, proudly held up books they won in the scavenger hunt, during which staffers and Friends of the Crestview Library volunteers guided them from clue to clue.
Volunteer Wanda Fogle, bedecked in a festive red hat festooned with ornaments, strolled around greeting admirers. A member of the Red Hat Society, “Every year I’ve been adding something to it,” she said.
In the children’s story room, Cyrius Davis, 8, and Natoria McRae knuckled down to get their Kwanzaa crafts just right, carefully gluing googly eyes to traditional African-inspired animal decorations.
Brycen Graham, 5, and Annie Grace, 7, discovered fun from another culture as they spun the dreidel and won prizes in the traditional Hanukkah game.
“She’s learning about Jewish customs,” Annie’s mom said, noting her daughter is home schooled.
As a mountain of cookies and gallons of punch were whittled down and the joyful strains of music died, library staffers looked at the smiling faces around them and had to smile themselves.
“This is so much fun,” Audrey Milcarek said. “We look forward to this.”
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Noel Night fills Crestview library with music, laughter, games and crafts (PHOTOS, VIDEO)