It’s Fall! This beautiful season with its vibrant colors and warm flavors also brings colder weather, cloudy days and rain. What better to do than to check out one of Beatley’s events. Again, we had to pick from a full schedule of exciting events but we managed to select the highlights for you. Don’t forget to look at the events calendar on Alexandria Library’s website to see what else they are offering for this month.
Autumn Art | Saturday, October 03, 2026 | 2:00pm - 3:00pm | Story Room | Age group: 6-12
Make fall leaves, autumn trees, and pumpkins in the style of Eric Carle. Learn about the art process that brought you favorites like The Very Hungry Caterpillar and make your own works of art for the fall season.
Art Escape – Teen Creative Space | Monday, October 05, 2026 | 6:00pm - 7:30pm | Age group: 14-18
Drop in for an evening of art, your way. Bring a work in progress or start something new! You can bring your own materials or use the library's provided supplies. Art Escape is your way to take a break from daily stresses to explore painting, drawing, fiber arts, sculpting, writing — you name it!
Keep an eye out for special guests showcases and lessons featuring Alexandria artists!
250th Film Festival – Lincoln | Wednesday, October 07, 2026 | 2:00pm - 5:00pm | Large Meeting Room | Age group: seniors, adults
We are celebrating America's 250th Birthday with a screening of the 2012 film directed by Steven Spielberg. Abraham Lincoln attempts to outlaw slavery by fighting for the passage of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, all while negotiating peace with the South and dealing with his mentally unstable wife.
Cast — Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn, Tommy Lee Jones, Joseph Gordon-Levitt | 2h 29m | Rated PG-13
Hispanic Heritage Fiesta | Saturday, October 10, 2026 | 1:30pm - 3:30pm | Frank and Betty Wright Reading Garden | Age group: all ages
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with live music, crafts, face painting and food! The fiesta will take place outside in Beatley Central Library's beautiful Reading Garden. Live music will be provided by The Mystic Warriors, a group dedicated to the preservation of Andean folk music. They perform using ancient flutes and panpipes in conjunction with contemporary instruments, seeking to remain true to the art, culture and heritage of the Quechua and Aymara people in Bolivia and other pre-Inca civilizations.
No registration required. The Fiesta will move inside if it rains.
Sound, Stress & Well Being – An Evidence-Based Guided Relaxation and Sound Journey | Sunday, October 11, 2026 | 2:00pm - 3:30pm | Large Meeting Room | Age group: seniors, adults
This program integrates brief, research-informed education with guided relaxation and a 45-minute sound journey using therapeutic-grade instruments.
Facilitator Bio: Irene Tapanti, PhD, is a molecular biologist and interdisciplinary artist specializing in restorative arts and sound-based wellbeing. She holds a doctorate in bioscience and has over a decade of experience with contemplative practices and community-based creative programs. Her approach integrates scientific understanding of stress regulation with accessible, evidence-informed relaxation methods. Iréne is trained in sound therapy and is committed to culturally respectful, inclusive, and community-centered programming.
Click here for more information about the program and on what to bring to this event. All participants need to sign a standard wellness activity waiver. You need to register for this event.
Alexandria Oddball Cinema – No One Will Save You | Thursday, October 15, 2026 | 5:30pm - 7:30pm | Large Meeting Room | Age group: adults, seniors
Oddball Cinema brings you all of the weird, eclectic, and lesser-known films you probably never saw in theaters. This movie opens with scenes of a young woman living in a large house isolated from the rest of the local community. She seems to live comfortably, albeit suffering from anxiety whenever anyone else is nearby. How she became such a hermit is eventually explained, but her history is far less important than her immediate future: something malevolent is approaching, a threat that in other movies would require a squad of superheroes to vanquish. In this one, however, as the title indicates, the woman will have no choice but to battle the menace by herself.
Cast — Kaitlyn Dever, Elizabeth Kaluev, Zack Duhame | 1h 33m | Rated PG-13
Storytelling Spooktacular | Tuesday, October 27, 2026 | 6:00pm - 6:45pm | Picture Book Area | Age group: all ages
Celebrate the spooky season with slightly scary stories for the whole family! While all ages are invited, please note that the spookiness level of some stories may be more appealing to participants who are elementary-school age or older. Gentler stories will be told at the beginning of the program, while more spine-tingling tales will be reserved for later.
Le Tour d'Alexandria Library – Haunted History | Saturday, October 31, 2026 | 10:00am – 12.30am | Age group: teens, seniors, adults
Are you ready for a "spirited" ride? This year's theme will explore the spooky history of Alexandria and the Library. On Saturday, October 31, 2026 the Alexandria Library will host its annual bicycle fun-ride to all Library branches. This leisurely ride begins at 10 a.m. at Beatley Central Library, is approximately 13 miles long, and ends back where it began. Bring your bike and join library staff for this 2.5-hour ride.
Registration for the event is required, as space on the tour is limited. Riders must be at least 13 years old to participate. Children and teens under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian. Visit alexlibraryva.org/alexandria-bike-tour to learn more!
There is so much more to do at Beatley Central Library and the other branches of Alexandria Library! Check the full events calendar here.
Did you know you can request books that are not in the Alexandria Library system to be borrowed from other libraries? To request an interlibrary loan, you must either live or work in the City of Alexandria and have a valid library card with no outstanding fees. There is a $5 non-refundable fee per request and a limit of 5 requests per borrower including pending and circulating items. Click here to learn more about these interlibrary loans.
Caroline Boomaars: is on a four-year adventure in the US following her husband who works as an engineer officer for the Royal Netherlands Air Force. Very happy to be living in the warm and welcoming community that is Cameron Station, Caroline tries to give back by volunteering for Beatley Library, Friends of Beatley Library and recently joined Cameron Station’s Communications Committee.
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