FAMILY EVENTS

Rainbow Families Meetup

Dates: January 14, February 25, March 18, and April 8 Time: 10:00 - 11:30 AM Ages: Families Cost: Free Location: North Suffolk Library Looking to meet families in the area with LGBTQ+ parents and/or kids? Join us for Rainbow Families at North Suffolk Library for family-friendly activities and crafts, for local resources, and to make friends! Drop in anytime throughout the event.

Dinner and a Story

Dates: January 26, February 23, March 30, and April 27 Time: 6:30 - 7:30 PM Ages: Families Cost: Free Location: Morgan Memorial Library What’s better than reading a book? Eating it, of course! Enjoy a food-themed storytime where you get to have a delicious dinner based on what you read about! Registration required. Upcoming themes are Chinese Food, Pizza, Breakfast for Dinner, and Finger Food.

Artists Alley

Date: March 4 Time: 2:00 - 4:00 PM Ages: Families Cost: Free Location: Morgan Memorial Library Create amazing pieces of art while learning about color therapy and the healing of the body through color. There will be art, crafts, and a chance to become living art at our colored powder dance party! Dress for mess or wear all white. Drop in anytime during the event. The colored powder dance party will be at 3:30pm.

LARP with the Library: Super Mario at Bennett’s Creek Park

Date: March 18 Time: 3:00 - 4:30 PM Ages: All Cost: Free Location: Bennetts Creek Park Ready to save the Mushroom Kingdom? You can Live Action Role Play (LARP) with Suffolk Public Library this spring! Make new friends, solve puzzles, and try not to get caught by the villain! Come join us at Bennett’s Creek Park for a Super Mario-themed day! Earn coins by defeating enemies, search for hints on the missing stars, and keep from falling in lava as you navigate the Koopalings dungeons! Registration required.

SPL OUTREACH

Come and find Library2Go, a full-service library on the road just for you! You can sign up for a library card, connect to our WiFi, or check out a Kindle, borrow a book, take advantage of mobile printing, do fun activities and games, and more!

Wednesdays (1st and 3rd)

Dates: February 1 - April 19 Time: 4:00 - 5:00 PM Cost: Free Location: Wilson Pines Apartments

Wednesdays (2nd and 4th)

Dates: February 8 - April 26 Time: 4:00 - 5:00 PM Cost: Free Location: Heritage Acres

Thursdays (1st and 3rd)

Dates: February 2 - April 20 Time: 4:00 - 5:00 PM Cost: Free Location: Colander Bishop

Thursdays (2nd and 4th)

Dates: February 9 - April 27 Time: 4:30 - 6:00 PM Cost: Free Location: Wildcard Day! Find us around North Suffolk

4th Monday Mobile Food Pantry

Dates: February 27 - April 17 Time: 1:30 - 3:00 PM Cost: Free Location: Salvation Army

9th Annual Suffolk Mystery Authors Festival

Date: Saturday, March 11 Time: 1:00 - 6:00 PM Ages: All Cost: Free ($30 for pre-festival VIP Luncheon; tickets on sale 1/15/23) Location: Suffolk Conference Center at the Hilton Garden Inn Suffolk Riverfront

Best-selling author Hank Phillippi Ryan will headline the 9th Annual Suffolk Mystery Authors Festival. This unique festival appeals to avid readers and aspiring writers alike, with events such as book signings, author meet and greets, and moderated panel discussions. This popular annual event will feature an additional 40+ best-selling authors of mystery, suspense/thriller, paranormal, horror, historical, romance, and women’s fiction. In addition to kicking off the Opening Session, Phillippi Ryan will be signing her latest title during the afternoon signing sessions, along with all featured authors.

Hank Phillippi Ryan is the USA Today bestselling author of 13 psychological thrillers, winning the most prestigious awards in the genre: five Agathas, five Anthonys, and the coveted Mary Higgins Clark Award. She is also the on-air investigative reporter for Boston’s WHDH-TV, with 37 EMMYs and dozens more journalism honors. She’s the only author to have won the Agatha in four different categories: Best First, Best Novel, Best Short Story and Best Non-Fiction. Hank is a founder of MWA University, host of CRIME TIME on A Mighty Blaze, and co-host of First Chapter Fun and The Back Room. She is a Past President of National Sisters in Crime.

For more information about the festival as it becomes available, visit SuffolkMysteryAuthorsFestival.com.

Suffolk Restaurant Week: Spring 2023

Date: March 18 -25 Time: 10:00 AM - 11:00 PM Ages: All Cost: $10 Lunch/$20 Dinner; $15 Lunch/$30 Dinner; $20 Lunch/$40 Dinner Location: Various Suffolk Eateries From Suffolk’s best-kept culinary secrets to national award-winning restaurants, Suffolk Restaurant Week promises a savory blend of the City’s signature flavors. During this culinary showcase, participating eateries offer chef-created delicacies and simple three-course, price fixed menus. No coupons, vouchers, or tickets! For more information, visit DiningInSuffolkVa.com.

Tea Tasting and Spring Plant Sale

Date: April 29 Time: 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM Ages: All Cost: Free Location: Suffolk Visitor Center Pavilion Join us for the third annual Tea Tasting & Spring Plant Sale at the Suffolk Visitor Center Pavilion, in honor of Historic Garden Week in Virginia. There will be tea tastings and pastries available for purchase, along with teapots, teacups, and packaged teas; in addition, seedlings, plants and flowers will also be available for purchase. Enjoy live music! This is an outdoor event.

A British Invasion at the Center

Join Suffolk Tourism, in partnership with the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts, for three British-themed blockbuster movies that enjoyed great success in cinemas. Shows begin at 7:00 PM, and admission is $2 per person. For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact the Suffolk Center’s box office at 757-923-2900, or visit SuffolkCenter.org.

Downton Abbey: A New Era

Date: Thursday, January 12 Part of the sprawling Crawley family goes on a grand journey to the South of France to uncover the mystery of the dowager countess’s newly inherited villa, while the rest of the family contends with the arrival of motion pictures at the Abbey. The cast includes Hugh Bonneville, Maggie Smith, Jim Carter, Elizabeth McGovern, and Michelle Dockery. This 2022 film is rated PG and has a running time of 124 minutes.

Rocketman

Date: Thursday, February 9 Set to his most beloved songs, this epic musical tells the story of a young Reginald Dwight’s fantastical transformation to international superstar Elton John, one of the most iconic figures in pop history. The cast includes Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, and Bryce Dallas Howard. This 2019 film is rated R and has a running time of 121 minutes.

Bohemian Rhapsody

Date: Thursday, March 16 The foot-stomping story that traces the meteoric rise of the legendary British rock band, Queen, and leader singer Freddie Mercury, who defied stereotypes and shattered convention to become one of the most beloved entertainers in history. The cast includes Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Ben Hardy, Joseph Mazzello, and Gwilym Lee. This 2018 film is rated PG-13 and has a running time of 134 minutes.

Masters of Soul

Date: Saturday, January 28 Time: 8:00 PM Ages: All Cost: $30-$45 Location: Suffolk Center A celebration of the legendary songs and performers that defined Motown and Soul music, featuring stylishly costumed and choreographed performances.

The Chris Michael Experience

Date: Saturday, February 18 Time: 7:00 PM Ages: All Cost: $18-$28 Location: Suffolk Center Chris Michael is a celebrity entertainer who has performed his unique mix of beatboxing, sleight-of-hand, mind-reading, and even dangerous stunts for thousands of thrilled audiences all over the world.

Icons: A Tribute Show

Date: Saturday, March 11 Time: 8:00 PM Ages: All Cost: $25-$35 Location: Suffolk Center This tribute show is packed with number 1 hits by some of the greatest women from the 60s all the way to today, including Cher, Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, Celine Dion, and more!

Hurrah Players Present: Disney!

Date: Saturday, March 25 Time: 2:00 PM Ages: All Cost: $22-$28 Location: Suffolk Center Don’t miss the family-friendly fun of this new Hurrah Players musical that includes vibrant costumes, amazing sets, soaring songs, and professional choreography!

Crazy for Patsy Cline

Date: Saturday, April 1 Time: 8:00 PM Ages: All Cost: $28-42 Location: Suffolk Center Award-winning actress/singer/ songwriter Katie Deal soulfully embodies country icon Patsy Cline.

Spring Choral Fest

Date: Sunday, April 23 Time: 3:30 PM Ages: All Cost: $15 Location: Suffolk Center An exceptional afternoon of harmonies and melodies with Chowan University.