WORCESTER — When the Worcester Public Library opens its doors on Saturday, Oct. 4, it’ll feel and look less like a quiet reading room and more like a comic-strip block party. Snoopy’s going to be there along with a 200-pound Great Pumpkin on display, and the library will debut “Taking Care of Each Other,” an exhibit from the Charles M. Schulz Museum that celebrates 75 years of Peanuts and the friendship, kindness and small, human moments the strip has long championed.
The Main Library at 3 Salem Square hosts the free, all-ages celebration from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with follow-up programs across Worcester branches throughout October and the exhibit remaining on view through Jan. 4, 2026.
Visitors can expect a full afternoon of family-friendly activities woven into the library’s fall schedule: a community art project led by local artist Jennessa Burks, a “75 Acts of Kindness” wall, a Linus blanket drive to benefit shelter animals, face painting, crafts, photo opportunities with Snoopy and a screening of “The Peanuts Movie.”
A vintage Peanuts display and limited-edition Snoopy library cards appeal to longtime fans, while a pen-pal station and trivia will invite people of all ages to join in. The library said the celebration is intended both as a birthday party for Schulz’s characters and as an intentional effort to build connection and combat loneliness in the community.
“This event is about sharing with our community and celebrating together,” Jason Homer, executive director of the Worcester Public Library. “’Peanuts’ has always reflected kindness, friendship, and caring, and we are so excited to bring those values to life at the library for people of all ages.”
The “Taking Care of Each Other” exhibit comes from the Charles M. Schulz Museum and highlights themes of compassion and resilience in Schulz’s work. The Main Library’s Peanuts programming is presented in partnership with the College of the Holy Cross and the Worcester Public Library Foundation and was helped out by a grant tied to the library’s John Cotton Dana Award recognition. Branches across the city carry the theme forward with related screenings, crafts and events; a full schedule is available at mywpl.org/peanuts.
Beyond the one-day celebration, the library is asking the community to take part in the Linus blanket drive through October: new blankets dropped at any WPL location will be distributed to local animal shelters. For families looking for a free, low-pressure fall outing, the library is offering a chance to gather, make something together, and maybe leave with a little more neighborly warmth than they came with — plus a photo with Snoopy and a peek at a 200-pound pumpkin.
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