CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KFVS) - The Cape Girardeau Public Library celebrated America’s 250th birthday on May 30 by hosting a cookout.
The library’s “Backyard BBQ Kickoff” was from noon to 3 p.m. on the back lawn of the library, 711 N. Clark St. The event was open to all ages.
The gathering brought families and neighbors together with games, entertainment, and food, while also highlighting America’s 250th birthday and the legacy of Carnegie libraries.
Planned entertainment included a multi-hula hooper, a stilt-walker and music by the Big Muddy Brass Quintet. The event also included a community painting project with artists Barb Bailey and Aaron Horrell, an interactive presentation about the Declaration of Independence, and games and contests held every half hour, with prizes for the winners.
Free hot dogs, hamburgers, chips and water were available.
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The library said the event was supported by a gift from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the foundation established by Andrew Carnegie. The award is part of Carnegie Libraries 250, an initiative tied to the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the roughly 1,280 Carnegie libraries still serving communities nationwide.
For more information about the library, contact Katie Earnhart, Library Director of Cape Girardeau Public Library, at 573-334-5279 ext. 111, or email katie@capelibrary.org.
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