If you haven’t dressed up for Halloween in a while it might be fun to look around the house and see what kind of character you might be able to come as to the library gala. Not being terribly interested in dressing in costume myself, I did not really stress that in my previous article about the Night in the Library – but apparently I am somewhat of the odd man out.

Our Night in the Library gala is a play on the Night in the Museum movie, wherein the exhibits come alive at night, and it would seem that many ticket holders plan to come alive as someone other than themselves for this event. It is divided actually. The chair of the Milford Friends of the library said “it is a gala, and I have some really nice dresses that I haven’t worn yet…. I think I should dress up. Isn’t that what you wear to a gala?”

Attire aside, this is an event with a creative twist —the library alive on a Sunday evening with monologues by Edgar Allen Poe, the Mad Hatter. C.S. Lewis, Jane Eyre and there will be a modern twist on Shakespeare. Our multi-talented I. T. co-ordinator Julie Lane is co-ordinating a troupe of local actors, including herself, Trevor Brookes, Robin Snip, Samantha Branderhorst, Georgia Papanicolaou, and Mihal Zada. So, entertainment – check!

Now, onto the food. Savour local desserts by Butter Dream Cakes, Karlyn’s Cookies, Lakeshore Farms and Purtelleighs Bakery. Sip wine from Rosehall Run Winery and cider from the County Cider Company. Also if you dare we will have a haunted house with a little help from the Osbornes of Hicks Funeral Home Haunted House fame.

Prizes! We have a few! There will be draws all evening. Edward Shubert has been working hard to contact the generous businesses on Main Street and beyond. There are door prizes courtesy of Crowe’s Footwear, Metro, Magpie, Innovative Jewellery, Agrarian Market, Kelly’s, Esso, Josephina’s, Flowers by Marvin, Gilbert and Lighthall, Flame & Smith, Zest Kitchen Shop, 555 Brewing Co., Kingston Olive Oil Co., Cooke’s Fine Food and Books & Company. With all of this bounty even the unluckiest among you may very well go home with a gift.

Our popular library mugs will be available for purchase that evening. As well we will have t-shirts with Mile Murtanovski’s Library At Night poster on front and back. The poster itself will be available for sale. This evocative, magical impression of the Picton library poised to receive gala guests and literary figures come to life is one you will want on a wall in your home. The gala will be the closing act for the month of October. In October the library capital fund had the potential to catapult by $200,000. We are very close to achieving this goal. Architect Brian Clark will be in attendance with a full set of plans. Take some time that evening to chat with him and our fundraising chair Alexandra Bake. The light-filled, multi-purpose, three floors that we are close to obtaining will become a reality because of the generosity and support of Prince Edward County residents.

Let me amend that statement. You would be surprised at the number of cheques that arrive in the mail from outside of the county. Today one arrived with this note enclosed: “As long-time cottagers (since the 1940s) in the County going to the library is a big part of our summer and our daughter and son-in-law always include a trip to the library for their three children when they are on holiday here. So thank you for being there.” Your gift to make this happen will touch more people than you can imagine. I am learning every day just how deeply the affection for this building runs, even extending beyond our borders.

Tickets are $50 each and available online or at any branch of the library. This is a major fundraiser for a major improvement to the Picton library thanks to the hard work and imagination of Amy and Edward Schubert and their wonderful committee.