December 24, 2025

Winter Wonderland at the Petersburg Public Library | Family Culinary Event

The Petersburg Public Library was excited to welcome families with children for the Second Annual Winter Wonderland Culinary Workshop, transforming the library into a festive space filled with creativity, cooking, and holiday cheer. Designed for children of all ages, the event offered a hands-on experience that celebrated seasonal flavors and meaningful community connection.

Guests explored a variety of interactive edible activity stations that brought winter-themed treats to life. Participants created chocolate marshmallow reindeer, built a cupcake village, mixed Hershey marshmallow peppermint bark, shaped mozzarella snowmen with pretzel brooms, constructed graham cracker houses, molded candy-shaped Krispy treats, enjoyed warm apple cider fizz, and layered colorful winter parfaits. Each activity was simple to follow, engaging, and filled with holiday spirit.

The event was made even more meaningful through the support of community partners and volunteers, including the Virginia Department of Health, Petersburg Department of Parks and Recreation, the YMCA, Read to Them featuring Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, DentaQuest, a Sun Life Company, Aetna, the Community Cares Team, Sentara, the City of Petersburg, HCAT, and the Crater Health District. Their involvement helped promote healthy living, literacy, and family engagement throughout the event.

Adding to the festive atmosphere, dancers performed on stage, bringing energy and excitement to the celebration and delighting guests of all ages.

Winter Wonderland continues to reflect the Petersburg Public Library’s commitment to creativity, literacy, community engagement, and family-centered programming. The event offered families a joyful opportunity to connect, create, and celebrate the season together.

March 3, 2025

Growing Future Gardeners: HCAT Teaches Young Learners at Petersburg Public Library

At the Petersburg Public Library, we believe in nurturing young minds—and what better way to do that than by introducing them to the joys of growing their own food? Recently, we had the pleasure of welcoming Head Start and Pre-K students from Petersburg Public City Westview Early Childhood Education Center for an engaging, hands-on gardening experience led by the Healthy Community Action Team (HCAT) in partnership with our Youth Department.

During this interactive session, children were introduced to the fundamentals of growing fruits and vegetables at home. HCAT provided them with the information, tools, and encouragement needed to start their own small gardens. Through hands-on activities, the young learners explored the textures of soil, received a bag to take home so that they can plant their own seeds, and learned about the process of nurturing plants from sprout to harvest.

Why Gardening Matters for Kids

Research shows that introducing children to gardening at an early age has numerous benefits, including:

Developing ecological literacy – Understanding the environment and the role of plants in our ecosystem.
Expanding knowledge of where food comes from – Encouraging a deeper connection between food and nature.
Supporting social and emotional health – Providing a calming and rewarding activity that fosters responsibility and patience.
Enhancing academic skills – Strengthening subjects like science, math, and literacy through practical, hands-on learning.
Encouraging nature-friendly attitudes – Instilling a lifelong appreciation for nature and sustainability.
Building confidence – Giving children a sense of accomplishment as they watch their plants grow.
Improving vegetable consumption and variety – Studies suggest that kids who grow their own food are more likely to eat and enjoy fresh produce.

Encouraging Lifelong Healthy Habits

This event was more than just a fun activity—it was a step toward building healthier habits for life. By fostering an early appreciation for growing food, we’re helping to create a future generation that values fresh, nutritious foods and understands the importance of sustainability.

We’re so proud of our young gardeners and can’t wait to see how their plants grow!

Have you introduced gardening to your little ones?

November 26, 2024

Sharing a Harvest: HCAT’s Food Demonstration and Giveaway at Petersburg Public Library

Yesterday (11-25-2024), the Petersburg Public Library hosted Sharing a Harvest, an event led by our new Healthy Community Action Team (HCAT) Coordinator Ruth Frierson. The event was a wonderful blend of community engagement, education, and support, offering a food demonstration, taste testing, and a fresh produce giveaway.

A Look at HCAT’s Mission and Vision

HCAT is a local initiative dedicated to advancing children’s health by ensuring consistent access to fruits and vegetables. Through interactive activities, HCAT engages children, youth, and families to inspire healthier choices. Their programs include:

Food demonstrations and taste testing.
Promoting Farm-2-School activities.
Establishing Learning Gardens to teach sustainable practices.
Increasing access to fresh produce in the community.

HCAT’s ultimate goal is to cultivate a coalition of partners to create a thriving, healthy Petersburg.

Event Highlights

At Sharing a Harvest, attendees explored new ways to prepare seasonal produce with recipes highlighting sweet potatoes, carrots, and collard greens. On the menu were these fresh ingredients, creatively prepared for everyone to sample.

The first 50 children who participated in the taste testing received a bag of ingredients to take home, including everything needed to practice the recipes at home. This hands-on opportunity allowed families to extend the lessons learned during the demonstration into their own kitchens.

Get Involved with HCAT

HCAT holds quarterly partnership meetings on the third Tuesday. These gatherings are an excellent opportunity for community members and organizations to collaborate and further their shared mission. Whether you’re a teacher, parent, or community leader, HCAT welcomes your partnership.

Together, we can continue building a healthier Petersburg, one fresh meal at a time.