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December 2025 |
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December is here, and brings with it the 2025 Festival of Trees! Read on for all the information about this beloved community tradition. We also have programs to fill all your festive days, with special events like an interactive Nutcracker dance class, a vision-board creating session for tweens and teens, and an all ages/all abilities movie morning. And we're wrapping it up with a Noon Year's Eve party that brings all the fun, without the late hours!
We truly hope to celebrate with you this month. As always, please visit our website at www.dyerlibrarysacomuseum.org for more information on all of the events and goings-on included in this newsletter! |
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We are delighted to welcome the public to the 2025 Festival of Trees, open through December 28! Community members, organizations, staff and volunteers have worked tirelessly to transform our galleries into an enchanted, sparkling wonderland of beautifully decorated trees. Some trees are available as raffle prizes, along with excellent items, tickets, and gift cards donated by local merchants (raffle tickets will be sold through December 18th). Admission to Saco Museum is free during the Festival of Trees, thanks to the generous support of our sponsors.
Museum Hours during Festival of Trees Sunday: 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Monday: closed
Tuesday: 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Wednesday: 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Thursday: 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Friday: 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM |
| Raffle Prizes
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There may be a limited number of spots left for the 1:30PM seating of Tea With Mrs. Claus, taking place on Saturday, December 6th. The event includes a story read by Mrs. Claus, a craft to complete, hot cocoa and cookies, and a special keepsake for each child to take home. There is no charge for this event, but registration is required as space is limited. Please visit our events calendar to reserve your spot. |
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If your family's visit to the Festival of Trees exhibit would best succeed with a smaller crowd and a slower pace, please join us for our Sensory-Friendly time on Sunday, December 7 from 10AM - noon. Reservations are required for our Sensory-Friendly hours to keep numbers low. This opportunity will allow families with special needs to book an appointment to visit the Festival of Trees. Only two families will be booked at each 15 minute increment so that everyone can explore and enjoy the exhibit. Please visit the Events Calendar on our website to register.
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Join us on Saturday, December 13th from 9:30 AM - 12 PM for our annual Festival of Trees Craft Day! Miss Megan and volunteers will offer a variety of holiday-themed crafts for all ability levels. There's no need to register - drop in and share some holiday creativity with us!
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Special Red & Lulu Storytime |
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Did you know that one of the large spruce trees next to the Dyer Library building is going to be the City of Saco holiday tree this year? Unfortunately we were advised that the tree needed to be removed, and happily we were able to donate it to the City to spread holiday cheer! To celebrate, we will have a special storytime on Monday, December 1 at 3:00PM. We'll read "Red & Lulu" by Maine author Matt Tavares, a story about two cardinals and their miraculous journey to reunite in New York City, as well as share hot cocoa and a festive craft.
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Our iconic Blue Spruce has gone off to be Saco's official holiday tree! Its removal, and a few others, means our grounds need some love. This Giving Tuesday, all donations will go directly to replacing trees and beautifying the Dyer Library/Saco Museum's outdoor space.
- A small gift could replenish our perennials!
- A larger gift could provide a new tree!
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Short on cash? We also welcome gifts of time and skill to help us with upkeep!
Help us plant a welcoming new landscape today! |
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All-Abilities Movie Morning |
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Join us for an all ages - all abilities showing of "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" on Wednesday, December 3rd at 11 AM. We will have the Deering room set up for a sensory friendly movie including coloring pages and fidgets.
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Join us for a special book club hosted by Melissa Milem with Southern Maine Agency on Aging. Using novels as a starting point, we'll meet to discuss the books and connect with others on topics related to aging, caregiving, and everything in between.
On Tuesday, December 9th from 1:00-2:00 PM we'll be discussing The Women by Kristin Hannah. This novel follows the story of a sheltered nursing student who, inspired by her brother’s deployment, joins the Army Nurse Corps in Vietnam. Thrust into the horrors of war, she faces both battlefield chaos and the heartbreaking struggle of returning to a divided America. Need help getting a copy of the book? Please let us know and we'll order one for you!
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Info Session on Local News
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With the end of the print edition of the Biddeford Saco Courier many in our community have noticed the challenge of finding local news. Join us on Wednesday, December 10th at 11 AM for "Where Did the News Go?", a program that will discuss new ways of accessing information, through Maine Trust for Local News, City of Saco Communications, Saco Bay News, and more.
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It's a swinging edition of our Monday Movie Matinee series on Monday, December 29th at 12:15pm with the original Ocean's 11 (1960)! We'll provide lemonade - please feel free to bring a lunch or snack to enjoy while watching the movie on the big screen in the Deering Room.
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Our weekly programming will be on pause for school vacation from 12/22 to 12/31. We'll be back and ready to welcome you in the new year - see you then!
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Visionary Vibes: T(w)een Vision Boards
| Saturday, December 20th, 10:00 am | Deering Room |
Dream big and set your intentions for the year ahead! In this hands-on creative workshop, you'll design your own vision board using collages, images, and words that reflect your dreams, goals, and aspirations. A great way to start the year with focus and inspiration! For ages 11+, registration required. |
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Nutcracker Dance & Storytime |
Monday, December 22nd, 10:30 am | Deering Room |
Join Ms. Jenn from Collective Motion Arts Center as we dance and explore the story of The Nutcracker! This 30-minute creative movement class will include dance concepts from one of ballet's most famous holiday dances. It’s a fun, interactive experience for families, complete with holiday cheer! FREE for all ages with an accompanying adult. |
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Early Release Day Movies |
Early Release Wednesdays (Saco Schools) - December 10th 12:30-2:30 PM |
Deering Room | Unwind after the short school day with a movie screening just for kids! We show a kid-friendly feature film on the big screen, complete with popcorn and good vibes. For ages 9+, or younger with a caregiver. |
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Yoo-hoo, families! Looking for a fun, kid-friendly way to ring in the New Year? Join us on Wednesday, December 31st at 11AM for our annual Noon Year’s celebration with music, games, and a special countdown to Noon. Enjoy all the excitement of New Year’s Eve without the late-night hours! For all ages with an accompanying adult.
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December Releases Good Enough to Gift |
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Click on the book cover to be taken to it's MINERVA listing, where you can request the book even before it's release date, when possible!
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The Look |
Michelle Obama |
Peter Heller’s masterful coming-of-age tale is the story of a mother and daughter living on a Vermont apple orchard, escaping ghosts of the past. By turns joyful and searing, The Orchard reminds us that, even during the hardest of times, the enduring power of nature, love, and friendship will prevail.
Releasing December 2. |
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Silent Bones
| Val McDermid |
Scotland, 2025. When torrential winter rain causes a landslide on a motorway, it dislodges more than mud and asphalt – it reveals a skeleton, concealed when the road was built eleven years prior. The 8th installment in the series finds Karen Pirie and her team investigating the murder of a journalist paved under a motorway—but was it his work or his private life that put him there?
Releasing December 2. |
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Frost Lines |
Neil Shea |
As warming reshapes our planet, the Arctic—a region that once seemed unchangeable, beyond the reach of modern problems—is quickly coming undone. While the old cold world can still be glimpsed in the movements of caribou, the hidden lives of wolves, and the hunting skill of an Iñupiaq elder, look closer and you’ll find a new Arctic appearing in its place. In Frostlines, Neil Shea blends natural history, anthropology, and travel writing to explore how the beauty, chaos, and power of change in the far north are reflected in the lives of people and animals.
Releasing December 2. |
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The Mating Game |
Lana Ferguson | Two wolf shifters reluctant to love discover there’s no fighting the call of the wild in this steamy romance by USA Today bestselling author Lana Ferguson.
Releasing December 2. |
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Coming Next Month: Lone Pine Book Club |
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Why not try joining a new book group in the New Year? Lone Pine Book Club will be hosting it's January meeting at Dyer Library on the 10th and all are welcome! Please visit their Instagram account here for more information, or email lonepinebookclub@gmail.com. |
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Closing Announcements |
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Mon: 9:30 am - 5 pm
Tue: 9:30 am - 8 pm
Wed: 9:30 am - 5 pm
Thu: 9:30 am - 8 pm
Fri: 9:30 am - 5 pm
Sat: 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
Sun: Closed |
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Festival of Trees Hours until 12/28
Mon: Closed
Tue: noon - 4 pm
Wed: noon - 4 pm
Thu: noon - 8 pm
Fri: noon - 4 pm
Sat: 10 am - 4 pm
Sun: noon - 4 pm
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