Written by Beverly Ewart
Prepare to Freeze!
It’s planting season—time to prepare the vegetable beds, look forward to lush, fresh berries, and enjoy being outdoors. It’s also a perfect time to think about delicious ways to use locally grown produce and herbs!
If you enjoy serving and eating nutritious food but have a busy schedule, this beautiful cookbook is a timely resource. Prep, freeze, and play!
Check it out: Freeze Fresh Meal Prep: 160 Meal Starters and Make-Ahead Dishes for the Freezer by Crystal Schmidt. “Crystal Schmidt, best-selling author of Freeze Fresh, offers a unique approach to meal prep, with 160 recipes for complete meals as well as meal starters – dishes that can be partially prepared and frozen, then combined with pantry ingredients to make a complete meal. Using garden fresh vegetables and fruits, Schmidt offers original recipes for soup starters, sauces and dips, side dishes, beverage starters, baked goods, frozen treats, pie or cobbler fillings, and freezer jams”– Provided by publisher.
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CFL will be closed for JUNETEENTH on Friday, June 19, 2026.
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Chess Club at CFL meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3–4. Tuesday is free play with Ryan Nolan and designed for those that have some experience.
Thursday’s weekly session is with Zachary Woodley-White and is designed for beginners who would like to learn how to play. We offer rudimentary instruction and a judgement free space for younger players to establish and build on their fundamentals. No registration needed, ages 12 and below. Questions? Contact Zach at zwoodleywhite@ncls.org
Grab a board, find a friend, and start a game at any open table in the Main Reading Room. Other board games are available or bring your own.
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TEEN ANIME meets on Thursdays from 5-7pm.
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Dungeons and Dragons: The Canton Free Library is running a Dungeons and Dragons campaign! This program is a beginner level program aimed at teens who are looking to learn how to play Dungeons and Dragons. Limited to ages 13-18, with no registration necessary. We will meet on the last Wednesday of each month from 4-6. Contact Zach at zwoodleywhite@ncls.org for any questions. Currently playing Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition.
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Children’s Programming at the Canton Free Library is taking a break for the month of June, however, the registration deadline is coming up on June 23rd for this year’s July children’s Summer Library Program at the Canton Free Library.
This summer, the library will offer age-specific programs for children ages birth through 5 years, two Lego Builders sessions for kids in K-6th, and family events on Thursday afternoons. Please register kids 3-5 years for their age-specific Storytime, which will include great books, movement, crafts, and lots of summertime fun! The schedule for programs will be:
• Tuesdays at 10:30: Newborn-17 months with a caregiver
• Wednesdays at 10:30am: 3-5 year olds with a caregiver (please register)
• Thursdays at 10:30 am: 18-35 months (about 3 years) with a caregiver
Also, there are special all-ages events on Thursdays:
• July 16th Family Music with Nan Hoffman in the Paige Room of the library 2pm
•July 23rd Bubble Shows at the First Presbyterian Church! 1:00 and 3:00 pm. Free, but all attending will need to reserve a free ticket through Eventbrite on our website
• July 30th the Annual Summer Library Pet Show at the First Presbyterian Church 2PM. Children bringing a pet must register by July 23rd.
See our Summer Library Program webpage at https://cantonfreelibrary.org/summerreading/ or visit the Children’s Room at the library to get a copy of the calendar.
Programs are sponsored by the Friends of the Canton Free Library and the St. Lawrence County Youth Bureau.
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COMING IN JULY: Rensselaer Falls Library will be hosting CARDBOARDING: A summer family program featuring constructions made with cardboard and other upcycled materials. CARDBOARDING will run on Tuesdays in July (July 7, 14, 21, & 28) from 1-4PM at our Rensselaer Falls location, 212 Rensselaer St. Please call the library for more information or to register for the program: (315) 344-4155, or email reflib@ncls.org. The library will also be accepting donations of clean recyclables (no glass, please) and cardboard boxes of all sizes.
MORLEY BRANCH is open Tuesday 1pm-3pm; Wednesday 4pm-6pm; Thursday 10am-12pm. Call for more information: (315) 379-0066.
RENSSELAER FALLS BRANCH is open on Tuesdays from 11am – 5pm. Call the library at (315) 344-4155 for more information.
CANTON BRANCH is open 9am-6pm Monday – Friday; 10am-3pm Saturday. Contact us at (315) 386-3712 or cantonfreelibrary.org.