MADISON, WI -- The final event in the Live Well @ Your Library series will be an outdoor festival at Central Library on Sunday, September 19, with the theme Celebration. The block of Mifflin Street outside of Central Library will be blocked off from 1-4:30 p.m. to create a space for movement workshops, art and making activities for adults and kids, vendor tables and a culminating community conversation on wellness. 

“This program supports community members who may not feel included in traditional wellness spaces in living well by sharing mental and physical health resources, elevating BIPOC wellness practitioners, and facilitating community conversations for a clearer path toward a healthier Madison,” said Kristina Gómez, a Community Engagement Librarian at Central Library. “This event is a celebration of our community's wellness journey and honors their experiences. We're thankful for our partners and collaborators who have made this series a success.”

At 2 p.m. team members from Forward Madison FC will lead a gentle workout through team-building games and talk about the connection between mental health, physical health and community health in a session called Kickstart Wellness. Madison Public Library and Forward Madison FC have worked together this summer to engage the community around literacy and encourage reading, and the partnership continues to grow.

“We are excited to have been invited by Madison Public Library to participate in the Live Well @ Your Library series. There is a strong connection between mental health, physical health and community health and we are excited to help encourage the Madison community in continuing to take steps to care for themselves holistically,” said Connor Tobin, Community Engagement Manager and player at Forward Madison FC.

Live Well @ Your Library is multicultural, multigenerational and multisensory, with both passive and active opportunities for attendees, including:

• Welcome table with giveaways from Be Well Madison and Madison Public Library
• Interactive art and making station for kids and adults with Bubbler Artist Cohort member Teena Wilder
• Free blood pressure checks
• Screen printing the We Read in a Flock image created by artist Emily Balsley
• Library card sign-up + photo booth area
• Acupuncture with Whole You Acupuncture
• Book signing with local author Denise Hardnett
• League of Women Voters will be on-site to share information
• Intuitive tarot card reading with Sahira Rocillo
• And several local Afro and Latinx centric vendors and practitioners

Events Schedule:

• 1-4:30 p.m.: Activity stations and vendors
• 1-2 p.m.: DJ Mirah spins, networking and wellness activities
• 1:30-4:30 p.m.: 20 minute acupuncture sessions with Dr. Heidi Eimermann of Whole You Acupuncture
• 2-2:45 p.m.: Forward Madison FC leads a Kickstart Wellness Teambuilding Workshop
• 3-3:45 p.m.: Yoga with Jamie Priti Gratrix | Natural Movement with Brian “Rock” Hancock
• 4-4:30 p.m.: Community Conversation on Wellness with Jamie Pekarek Krohn and Araceli Esparza and vegan cookies from Willy St. Co-Op

Participants can drop in between 1-4:30 p.m. or stay for the duration of the event. Masks are strongly encouraged at all outdoor library events for those age 2 and up. Masks are required if entering the Central Library. 

Learn more at madpl.org/livewell

Can't participate but interested in future programming?  Participate in the Live Well @ Your Library Community Wellness Survey

About Madison Public Library
The Madison Public Library's tradition of promoting education, literacy, and community  involvement has enriched the City of Madison for more than 145 years. Our nine locations throughout the City of Madison are open six days per week and welcome over 1.9 million visits each year. For more information, visit madisonpubliclibrary.org, @MadisonPublicLibrary on Facebook and Instagram, or @MadisonLibrary on Twitter.

About Live Well @ Your Library:
Madison Public Library, Be Well Madison and Wisconsin Mujer, are hosting a series of events centered on health and wellness titled Live Well @ Your Library. Events have taken place the last Sunday of each month in different Madison Public Library neighborhoods from June-August, and focused on themes of Reflection, Renewal and Restoration. 
"Live Well @ Your Library" is inspired by the work of Venus Washington, Jasmine Timmons, Araceli Esparza and Nikki Cook and their "Nourish You" Library Takeover Project, and seeks to empower those who have not always felt included in traditional wellness spaces, particularly BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) communities. Library Takeover is currently taking applications for the third round of its programming from September 1 - October 1. 

These events are made possible thanks to grants from Lululemon and All of Us - UW.