Library Events

Do you love to read and are in your twenties? If so, come join our 20 Somethings’ Book Club! Come discuss a little bit about what you read, do a fun activity based on the book that month, and meet other people who share this interest with you! Each month will be a different reading genre to focus on. We will be holding this club every last Tuesday of the month. Check our CFPL website calendar for the locations of each meeting. The book pick of the month will be available for checkout at the Reference desk after registering. Please make sure to bring a library card to check out that month’s book club pick. For adults ages 20-29. Adult. 

Join us as we continue our year long collaboration with the Hearst Center encouraging creative engagement with our outdoor spaces! Learn more about Nature Quest and create your own journal to use throughout the year.
CFPL Co-Lab
Adults 18 and above
Registration required
Learn about herbarium, the art of preserving and collecting plant specimens with UNI Biology Professor, Kenneth Elgersma and Emeritus Professor, Steve O'Cane. Participants will have an opportunity to get up close with specimens from the UNI Biology collection and learn to create their own herbarium sheets. Made possible by the Cedar Falls Community Foundation: Kathryn Ray Fund for use by the Library. 

  Sponsored by Kathryn Ray Fund for use by the Library.

NOTE: This program will be held at the Cedar Valley Makerspace on the 3rd floor of Tech1 Building, 360 Westfield Ave in Waterloo.  NO transportation will be provided to or from the library.

Join us in leveling up your making skills with a visit to the Cedar Valley Makerspace!  Master Makers will be on site to help you through a variety of stations of learning and experimentation that could include 3D printers, various electronics, video production, woodworking, and more!  This program is drop-in style, so teens are able to arrive and leave as needed, but please bear in mind that certain workshops may take a bit of time.
Teens in attendance will need a caregiver to sign a waiver in the unlikely, but always possible, incident of cuts and burns.  The waiver will be attached to the registration form, or copies will be available at the Teen Desk in the library or on-site at the program.  Teens will not be allowed to participate without a signed waiver. Sponsored by Funded by the Cedar Falls Community Foundation: Robert and Shirley Berg Fund for use by the Library..

**Due to popular demand, this program session will be a repeat of the original program from 3/12/25.  Waitlisted patrons from March will be offered registration priority before general registration is opened on 5/4/25.**

Have you ever tried Japanese sweets?  Are you interested in learning about and trying more?  Join instructor Maoko Umeda as we explore (and taste!) some traditional Japanese treats and various teas.  You'll also get a chance to see and learn more about the traditional tea ceremony of Japan.  Itadakimasu!

Registration is required.  This program is intended for adults and will be held in the Co-lab.  Sponsored by the Friends of the Cedar Falls Public Library.

Geared toward toddlers and preschoolers. We're taking Movement and Movement Storytime to the Falls Aquatic Center! Get ready to dance, splash, and be silly! We'll read books that encourage movement, sing songs, and shake our sillies out!
If it rains, we'll have storytime at the library. Registration Required. 

Sponsored by the Friends of the Cedar Falls Public Library.

NOTE: This program will be held at Ninja U Training Gym at 5911 University Ave Suite 350 in Cedar Falls.  NO transportation will be provided to or from the library.

Join us in leveling up your ninja skills at Ninja U!  After a brief introduction, teens will have the opportunity to explore all of the obstacles that Ninja U has to offer!  Please dress accordingly in clothes you would feel comfortable working out or moving around a lot in.
Teens in attendance will need a caregiver to sign Ninja U's waiver. The waiver will be attached to the registration form or can be found on the Ninja U website.  Teens will not be allowed to participate without a signed waiver. Sponsored by Funded by the Cedar Falls Community Foundation: Robert and Shirley Berg Fund for use by the Library..

Join us as we continue our year long collaboration with the Hearst Center encouraging creative engagement with our outdoor spaces! Learn more about Nature Quest and create your own journal to use throughout the year.
CFPL Co-Lab
Adults 18 and above

Learn about the process of dyeing fabric with plant materials and growing your own dye garden with natural dye artist, Mo Valko. Participants will create their own bundle-dyed scarf using flowers and plant materials from Mo's garden.  Sponsored by Kathryn Ray Fund for use by the Library.

NOTE: This program will be held at the Cedar Falls Community Theatre at 103 Main St in Cedar Falls.  NO transportation will be provided to or from the library.

Level up your public speaking!  Level up your quick thinking!  Level up your.... improv!  Join us at the Cedar Falls Community Theatre for an evening of improv with extraordinaire Greg Holt.  You'll laugh, you'll cry... well, maybe not cry, but fun will be had all around! Sponsored by Funded by the Cedar Falls Community Foundation: Robert and Shirley Berg Fund for use by the Library..

**Due to popular demand, this program session will be a repeat of the original program from 5/14/25.  Waitlisted patrons from May will be offered registration priority before general registration is opened on 6/1/25.**


Onigiri, made from rice and nori (seaweed), is a food that represents Japan.  Like American sandwiches, there are many flavors.  Our instructor, Maoko Umeda, will talk about Japanese food culture, including dietary staples such as onigiri and miso soup.  She will then instruct us in making our own onigiri  to try with miso soup!  Itadakimasu! Sponsored by the Friends of the Cedar Falls Public Library.

Meeting Room.

Have you felt the calling to slay dragons, barter with merchants, and pick up the lute?  Then Dungeons and Dragons might be the game for you!  Come learn the ins and outs of the game and partake in a short sample gameplay to see if it is for you.  Previous Dungeons and Dragons experience is not required. Sponsored by Funded by the Cedar Falls Community Foundation: Robert and Shirley Berg Fund for use by the Library..

Meeting Room.
Ever wanted to play Dungeons and Dragons but you couldn't find a Dungeon Master?  Come learn how to be your own DM and make friends to play in their campaigns!  Previous Dungeons and Dragons experience is encouraged. Sponsored by Funded by the Cedar Falls Community Foundation: Robert and Shirley Berg Fund for use by the Library..

Geared toward toddlers and preschoolers. We're taking Movement and Movement Storytime to the Falls Aquatic Center! Get ready to dance, splash, and be silly! We'll read books that encourage movement, sing songs, and shake our sillies out!
If it rains, we'll have storytime at the library. Registration Required. 
Sponsored by the Friends of the Cedar Falls Public Library.

Join us as we continue our year long collaboration with the Hearst Center encouraging creative engagement with our outdoor spaces! Learn more about Nature Quest and create your own journal to use throughout the year.
CFPL Co-Lab
Adults 18 and above

Experience firsthand the beauty of the Iowa prairie and learn about local restoration efforts, including at Irvine Prairie, from Justin Meissen, Research and Restoration Program Manager at UNI's Tallgrass Prairie Center and Cathy Irvine. Limited free bus transportation from and back to the CFPL parking lot is available for those who register. Anyone is welcome to provide their own transportation to Irvine Prairie. Sponsored by Kathryn Ray Fund for use by the Library.

Join us at CFPL for our next installment of Japanese cultural programming with instructor Maoko Umeda!  This month, we'll gather in the Meeting Room for a presentation on various aspect of Japanese spirituality and related holidays and events.  Materials and instruction will be provided for you to make your own omamori (amulet)!

Registration is preferred, but walk-ins are welcome as long as supplies last. Sponsored by the Friends of the Cedar Falls Public Library.

Do you have an interest in paper quilling?  Join our bi-monthly Quilling Club! The library will provide tools and materials for you to work with.  Although no formal instruction will be provided, practicing quillers and resources will be available to assist beginners.  All skill levels are welcome!  

This month will be our first meeting, so we will be using a recorded instructional presentation (beginning at 9:45AM) to create a simple design applied to cardstock.  

Registration is preferred.  Walk-ins are welcome as long as supplies last. Sponsored by the Friends of the Cedar Falls Public Library.

Co-Lab.
Youth. Ages 9-12

Assemble your Picnic Box at the library then take a walk with us to Overman Park where you can enjoy your picnic food and fun activities! Registration is required, kids 9-12 will pack their own picnic with supplies provided by the library, and their families are invited to join us after as we head to the park. 

Registration opens on August 5th.

Funded by the Cedar Falls Community Foundation: Robert and Shirley Berg Fund for use by the Library.

Join us as we continue our year long collaboration with the Hearst Center encouraging creative engagement with our outdoor spaces! Learn more about Nature Quest and create your own journal to use throughout the year.
CFPL Co-Lab
Adults 18 and above

Participants will be guided on a personal Nature Quest by selecting from a series of monthly workshops and open studio classes (locations will be shared between the Hearst and the Library) hosted by artists and field experts throughout the seasons. Open studio sessions will encourage participants to create and reflect in personal journals using a variety of prompts from How To Be An Explorer of the World by Keri Smith (each participant will receive a free copy while supplies last) with social time geared towards cultivating a sense of community. Materials will be provided. As the program ends upon one year of seasonal change, all participants will be invited to show their work at the Hearst and Cedar Falls Library.  Sponsored by Kathryn Ray Fund for use by the Library.

Join us as we continue our year long collaboration with the Hearst Center encouraging creative engagement with our outdoor spaces! Learn more about Nature Quest and create your own journal to use throughout the year.
CFPL Co-Lab
Adults 18 and above

Participants will be guided on a personal Nature Quest by selecting from a series of monthly workshops and open studio classes (locations will be shared between the Hearst and the Library) hosted by artists and field experts throughout the seasons. Open studio sessions will encourage participants to create and reflect in personal journals using a variety of prompts from How To Be An Explorer of the World by Keri Smith (each participant will receive a free copy while supplies last) with social time geared towards cultivating a sense of community. Materials will be provided. As the program ends upon one year of seasonal change, all participants will be invited to show their work at the Hearst and Cedar Falls Library.   Sponsored by Kathryn Ray Fund for use by the Library.

Join us as we continue our year long collaboration with the Hearst Center encouraging creative engagement with our outdoor spaces! Learn more about Nature Quest and create your own journal to use throughout the year.
CFPL Co-Lab
Adults 18 and above

Participants will be guided on a personal Nature Quest by selecting from a series of monthly workshops and open studio classes (locations will be shared between the Hearst and the Library) hosted by artists and field experts throughout the seasons. Open studio sessions will encourage participants to create and reflect in personal journals using a variety of prompts from How To Be An Explorer of the World by Keri Smith (each participant will receive a free copy while supplies last) with social time geared towards cultivating a sense of community. Materials will be provided. As the program ends upon one year of seasonal change, all participants will be invited to show their work at the Hearst and Cedar Falls Library.