Daily Archives: July 31, 2024

Creek Week Art Contest Now Open

Goleta Valley Library Accepting Submissions from All Ages and Skill Levels through September 6

Goleta Valley Library is excited to announce the Third Annual Creek Week Art Contest! In celebration of Creek Week (September 21 – 28) the library has partnered once again with the City of Goleta’s Environmental Services Division to invite our community to submit an original work of art in this year’s theme, “Goleta the Goodland: Ocean, Creeks and Watersheds.” To be included in the contest, bring your artwork to the service desk at Goleta Valley Library (500 N. Fairview Avenue) during regular business hours before the deadline of 5:00 p.m. on Friday, September 6.

Artists of all ages and skill levels are welcome to participate in this popular program. Read below for all the details:

Art Competition Guidelines:

  • All artwork that represents the theme “Goleta the Goodland: Ocean, Creeks and Watersheds” will be accepted.
  • Submissions will be grouped into three age categories: Adults (18+), Teens (7th-12th grade), and Children (6th grade and below).
  • Participants may only submit one piece of art. Art must be original, completed solely by the participant.
  • All mediums allowed (photography, painting, drawing, collage, etc.).
  • Artwork is not required to be framed, but must have the artist’s name and age category on the back.
  • Submissions must be no larger than 42” in any direction (including frame) and must have a way to be hung on the wall.
  • Artwork will be scored on relevance to the theme, overall appearance, and originality.
  • Artwork will be scored by Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte and a guest judge, who will award a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place award as well as an Honorable Mention for each age category.
  • A reception will be held at Goleta Valley Library on September 26 from 5:00 – 6:30 p.m. All participants, along with community members, are invited to attend.
  • Artwork will remain on display on the West Wall of the library for the community to enjoy through September 27.
  • Submissions must be picked up at Goleta Valley Library between October 1 – 5 during business hours.
  • All submitted artwork will become property of the City and may be used in future marketing efforts. A waiver will be provided at the time of drop-off. Artists have the option to participate without signing a waiver.

Goleta Valley Library staff look forward to seeing our community’s creativity come to life to honor Goleta the Goodland! Stay tuned for a full calendar of Creek Week events coming soon.

Creek Week is an annual celebration of our creeks, watersheds, and ocean, with many organizations hosting events to help build awareness and stewardship of the natural treasures of Santa Barbara, Goleta and Carpinteria. For questions about this competition please contact Library Assistant Sharon Nigh at snigh@cityofgoleta.org.

To learn more about the Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley Libraries and check out all the great things happening year-round, visit www.GoletaValleyLibrary.org.

To stay up to date on the latest City of Goleta news and information, visit www.CityofGoleta.org.

Summer Reading Ends with Stuffed Animal Sleepover

400 Stuffies Take Over Goleta Valley Library

The 2024 Summer Reading Program, Adventure Begins at Your Library, came to a close on Saturday, July 27th at the Goleta & Santa Ynez Valley Libraries after seven fun-filled weeks of programs, performances, and lots of great books. The program could not happen without the help of our amazing volunteers. This year’s team included 80 teen and adult volunteers, more than any other year. Volunteers were responsible for listening to youth participants report on their reading, awarding prizes, and assisting with behind-the-scenes work on a variety of library programs.

This year’s program saw excellent community participation from all ages across the library’s branches, as children, teens, and adults delighted in events and worked hard to earn prizes set at various reading milestones. Since the program’s launch in mid-June, more than 1,500 children in grades K-6 and over 160 teens in grades 7-12 signed up and received reading logs, and adults read over 700 books for a chance to be entered into weekly drawings. Grand prize drawings will take place this week for treasures such as skateboards, gift cards, book packs, and much more! The lucky winners will be notified by the first week of August.

To celebrate this fantastic reading, the much-anticipated Stuffed Animal Sleepover returned to Goleta Valley Library for a summer campout themed overnight adventure! A record-breaking 400 stuffies were dropped off by enthusiastic kids, who had been informed by Children’s Librarian Kaeley Christensen during end-of-school-year class visits that the only participation requirement was that their stuffie couldn’t be too big for them to carry into the library.

“It was truly magical to see the excitement on the children’s faces as they dropped off and picked up their stuffed animals for this event. Making a connection like this with the library will stay with them their whole lives, and I am honored to help make this happen,” said Kaeley Christensen.

Other highlights from the Summer Reading Program included the return of beloved annual performers such as magician Shawn McMaster and puppeteer Luce Puppet Company, as well as new creative events like the “Adventures in Geology” Dibblee map workshop at Solvang Library and the Camp Out Craft Day at Buellton Library. With programs for a wide range of interests as well as materials on a myriad of topics, the library aimed to offer an adventure to each and every one of its patrons this summer.

Congratulations on all your amazing reading and thank you for spending the summer with us!

To learn more about the Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley Libraries and check out all the great things happening year-round, visit www.GoletaValleyLibrary.org.

The Goleta & Santa Ynez Valley Libraries would like to thank the generous sponsors of the 2024 Summer Reading Program: Albertson’s, Anna’s Bakery, Birkholms Bakery & Cafe, Blenders in the Grass, The Book Loft, Brick Barn Winery, The California Nature Art Museum, Casa Cassara Winery & Vineyard, Chipotle, Chomp!, The Coffee House by Chomp, Community Clayworks, The Elverhoj Museum of History & Art, Enjoy Bagels & Sweets, The Friends of the Goleta Valley Library, The Friends of the Library of Santa Ynez Valley, Goleta Train Depot, Golf N Stuff, Habit Burger Grill, Ice in Paradise, Ingeborg’s Danish Chocolates, Isla Vista Food Co-op, Islands Restaurant, Kona Ice, Kyle’s Kitchen, Lighthouse Coffee, Los Arroyos, Maritime Museum, Mother Hubbard’s Restaurant, MOXI Museum, Mystic Merchant, New Frontiers Natural Marketplace & Deli, Ocean Nails & Spa, Old Town Coffee, Paragon Academy Goleta, Powell Peralta, Queen Cup Coffee, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Santa Barbara Blueberries, Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum & Parks-Janeway Carriage House, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Solvang Bakery, Solvang Flavors, Solvang Theaterfest, South Coast Deli, South Coast Montessori, Starbucks Coffee, Stuart C. Gildred Family YMCA, Timbers, Vega Vineyards, and Woodstock’s Pizza.


Storytime for the stuffies at the Stuffed Animal Sleepover


Campers enjoying an on outdoor movie night


Franklin Haynes Marionettes show of “Frankie’s Toy Box”