Starting 2026 with Free Workshops & Events for a Variety of Interests
Posted on December 23, 2025 at 6:30 am
For the start of 2026, we’re offering a variety of online and in-person events and workshops covering a variety of interests. Catch a few author talks while snug and warm at home. Head to the library and online for programs featuring cooking and food.
Get a boost of creativity and entertainment with art classes, technology for creating, swaps for plants, puzzles, and games as well as insights into genealogy and podcasting.
Informative sessions include classes for dementia caregivers, Memory Cafés, and Medicare. Check out our workshops and educational sessions on personal finance as well as job and career help. Small businesses can find out how to create a plan for success in 2026 with the help of a SCORE Spokane mentor.
We hope you explore new interests and nourish your current passions at the library!
Author Talks
Every month, the SCLD Online Authors Series brings you author talks from bestselling authors and thought leaders. When you register for an author talk, you can submit a question for the author. January talks include:
- David Brooks, op-ed columnist and bestselling author, on the Creative and Compassionate Art of Seeing Others Deeply
- Julia Hotz, journalist and award-winning author, on Nature, Art, and Service as Medicine
- Liz Moore, bestselling author, on Secrets and Second Chances
If you miss a live talk, you can catch the video recording afterward. Mix up your usual social gathering with an author talk viewing party—grab a few friends and snacks and then watch archived talks, including chats with Philippa Gregory, Malala Yousafzai, Leigh Bardugo, Jodi Picoult, Lee Hawkins, Waubgeshig Rice, and many more.
Cooking & Food
If food and cooking are among your top interests, then we have some delicious programs for you. Sample bakery treats, and get suggestions for books and/or movies that pair well with them during Cozy Reads & Bakery Treats.
During the online program World Cooking: Korean Food, Chef Sangmi “Claire” Lee of Gangnam Eats demonstrates the preparation of a traditional dish while you follow along in your home kitchen.
The return of the presentation Lost Apples of the Palouse gives you the opportunity to hear about the thousands of named apples trees that have gone missing over hundreds of years and the steps being taking to bring these apples back to life. Find out about the exciting finds happening right here in the Palouse.
Creativity & Entertainment
Creative workshops in January offer both hands-on and technology-aided options. Brighten up the winter months by exploring how to paint lush and evocative watercolor landscapes with artist Megan Perkins during the Introduction to Creating Watercolor Landscapes session.
Try out Plateau Basket Weaving with artist Julie Edwards, of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, as she shares techniques for the twining basketry skill used by Native American communities in the Colombia Plateau region.
Turn a plain sticky note into a neatly lined template for a checklist, task list, or set of directions when you register for 3D Printing: Sticky Note Stencils for teens and adults.
Sign up for Cricut Training to explore the basics of using a Cricut (pronounced “cricket”) smart cutting machine, including setup and using the Design Space application. You’ll be creating and cutting cool stuff in no time!
Each Friday, you can drop in to try out the library’s technology and equipment and get help with your creative projects during Maker Open Hours in The Lab.
Check out the Podcast Publishing workshop at The STCU Studio. Sign up to learn the essentials for podcasting in a home-recording studio or at the library. Explore various podcasting equipment and editing software and show you how to upload a finished podcast to various platforms as well as social media.
Avid family history explorers and anyone who is curious about their family’s past, the Genealogy Drop-In Session is for you. Discover the library’s genealogy resources and work with experienced genealogy enthusiasts to fill out your family tree and explore various genealogy websites and charts.
It’s time for an Indoor Plant Swap! Add variety to your indoor garden. Bring an indoor plant to share and pick up one left by another houseplant enthusiast.
It’s also time for some fun! Trade in the jigsaw puzzles you’ve completed and board games you’re done playing for a new challenge during the Jigsaw Puzzle & Board Game Swap.
Informative Sessions
In January, our online sessions of the Dementia Caregivers Workshop cover the following topics:
- Starting the Conversation about Brain Changes
- Local Dementia Resources
- Emergency Situations and Dementia
- Creating a Dementia-Friendly Home
You can also learn about dementia, what it’s like to live with dementia, and actions you can take to support people living with dementia in your community at the session: Dementia Friends Information Session.
Memory Café provides a comfortable way for people to connect with other caregivers and people experiencing memory loss while also socializing and building new support networks. Activities include music, crafts, and more.
If you are new to Medicare or would like a refresher, then Medicare: Getting Started may be the session for you. During a Medicare Open Enrollment One-on-One Session, trained volunteers can help you research, assess, and evaluate which options work best for you and your needs so you can make an informed decision.
Personal Finance, Job & Career
If you’re looking to purchase a home, our community partner SNAP Spokane offers a Homebuyer Education Seminar, where you can explore all of the major aspects of the home-buying process in an unbiased format.
Financial educators from BECU share sound strategies for ways to handle and keep an eye on your finances in two sessions: Manage Your Money: A Practical Guide to Handling Finances and Fraud Detection & Prevention.
Anyone on the hunt for a job or thinking of switching careers can get assistance from expert career coaches during WorkSource Drop-In Help each week at Spokane Valley Library.
Small Business Insights
The SCORE Spokane online workshop Setting SMART Goals for Your Small Business is led by a business coach who can show you how to steer your business strategies toward resounding success with a plan to achieve your goals.
Tags: adults, art, author talks, business, cooking, create, dementia, events, food, Medicare
