Allen Public Library

Award winning author Michael Hurd will discuss Thursday Night Lights, The Story of Black High School Football in Texas,” at a live virtual event, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18 at allentx.swagit.com Submit questions until 8:30 p.m. that evening through liveonstage@cityofallen.org Thursday Night Lights was named one of the 30 best Texas books for the 2010-2019 decade by the Texas Observer, and one of the 30 most essential books about Texas by the Houston Chronicle. Thursday Night Lights tells the inspiring, largely unknown story of African American high school football in Texas from 1

Francois Ignace “Adolphe” Gouhenant was multilingual, a painter, revolutionary, photographer and musician. Celebrated as Dallas’s first artist in residence, Adolphe immigrated to Texas from France in 1848. Establishing a utopian community known as New Icaria were his original plans. New Icaria was located near present day Justin in Denton County. This community preceded the more well-known La Réunion utopian colony in Dallas. Learn about the life of Adolphe Gouhenant with Paula Selzer, the co-author of Adolphe Gouhenant: French Revolutionary, Utopian Leader, and Texas Frontier Photo

Texas Patriot José Francisco Ruiz Texans are familiar with Davy Crockett, Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston, but what about José Francisco Ruiz? At a live virtual event, listen to Art Martínez de Vara discuss his book Tejano Patriot: The Revolutionary Life of José Francisco Ruiz, 1783–1840 at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, January 21 at AllenTV.org Viewers can submit questions until 8:30 p.m. the day of the event at liveonstage@cityofallen.org. Born in San Antonio de Béxar, Ruiz underwent a dramatic transformation from a staunch conservative royalist to avidly supporting Mexican independe

Join long time radio disc jockey, author, record and radio program producer George Gimarc to savor vintage radio commercials that were broadcast during the 1050s to 1970s at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, January 7, at a live virtual event at www.AllenTV.org Submit questions until 8:30 p.m. that evening through liveonstage@cityofallen.org . George is the author of Post Punk Diary: 1980-1982. Originating from the Sellers Recording Studio in downtown Dallas, the voices of George Jones, Mickey Mantle, Jesse Owens, Ron Chapman and many others are detectable. George Gimarc describes himself as an aud

Skip Pilgrim and the City Lights Band will present a live virtual country Christmas at 7:30 p.m. Friday, December 18, at www.AllenTV.org . This is a free event. Playing the pedal steel guitar for over 45 years, Skip has performed with several Grand Ole Opry stars and was the staff steel player at the Branson Opry House in Branson, Missouri. City Lights band members include Bobby Germany on bass guitar and lead vocals, Bob Chapman on drums and vocals, Russ Allen on lead guitar and vocals, and special guest Randy Wills on keyboard. Randy is the president of the Texas Gospel M

Clarinet Holiday Ensemble Join us for a magnificent live virtual concert that features traditional holiday carols and Klezmer melodies at 7:30 p.m., Friday, December 11 at www.AllenTV.org , a free event. The ensembles will also perform selections by Bach, Dvorak, Herbert, and Tchaikovsky, including selections from Babes in Toyland and The Nutcracker Suite. The ensembles are comprised of Charlotte Catlett, Sean Reed, Devin Taylor, Johnathon Platt, Mark Newcome, and Emilie Catlett, all whom are members of community bands in the metroplex or hold degrees in music. Call

Blackland Prairie Raptor Join us for a live virtual up-close experience with the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center at 2:30 p.m., Wednesday, June 17. This program will be broadcast on the Allen Public Library’s Facebook page (@allenpubliclibrary) and AllenCityTV’s https://allentx.swagit.com/live/. Learn more about birds of prey, including owls, hawks and falcons. This delightful raptor show is especially for families with elementary age children. Submit your questions to be answered by the presenters to us via email at liveonstage@cityofallen.org or through our the Library’s Facebo

POSTPONED Daily Life in the Scottish Highlands Colorful kilts. Skirling bagpipes. Brooding castles in the mist. Learn much more about the Scottish Highlands with Sharon Hudgins at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 26 at the Allen Public Library! This illustrated lecture by Sharon Hudgins looks beyond the stereotypes about Scotland to show how people have lived in the Highlands from the Stone Age to the present. She also shares her own personal stories about daily life in an old stone cottage on the remote and rugged north coast of Scotland. Sharon Hudgins is an award-winning author and

But when I played Woodstock, I'll never forget that moment looking out over the hundreds of thousands of people, the sea of humanity, seeing all those people united in such a unique way. It just touched me in a way that I'll never forget. —Edgar Winter Dear Hippie…We Met at Woodstock Dan Carlson was with the New York State Police and one of the few police officers assigned to work at the Woodstock music festival. He will recount his memories of that iconic event and how the experience affected him both personally and professionally at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, A

Lady Marli Davis presents Christmas Chocolate & Charles Dickens, 7 p.m. Thursday, December 9, at the Allen Public Library, 300 N. Allen Dr. Lady Marli will share a history of old-fashioned Yuletide traditions, holly and ivy decorations, Victorian Christmas cards, trees, ornaments and Charles Dickens’ influence on Christmas celebrations. Sponsored by Bach to Books, this program is free and no reservations are required. Lady Marli will provide historical highlights of significant holiday traditions such as as the creation of the first Christmas card, which was printed in December 184

Award winning author Eric Kimmel appears at the Allen Public Library 1 pm, Saturday, December 4th, Children's Program Room, 300 N. Allen Dr., Allen, 75013. After his program, books will be sold and autographed. Kimmel is an American author of more than 50 children's books. His works include Caldecott Honor Book and Newbury Honor Book Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins (illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman), and Sydney Taylor Book Award winners The Chanukkah Guest and Gershon's Monster. His The Lady In The Blue Cloak, a collection of stories from the Texas missions, was given the Naylor Award by t