Translate: 简体中文 | Español | Tagalog

May 2, 2026

Quote of the week

"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need."

– Cicero, Roman politician

Summer Swim Camp registration is open!

Summer is around the corner and it's the perfect time to get your kids in the pool! Menlo Swim & Sport offers a range of youth swim programs at Burgess and Belle Haven Pools, from swim camps and lessons to the Menlo Mavericks Summer Swim Team. Whether your child is just getting started or ready to refine their skills, we've got something for everyone. Registration for summer swim camp is open. Spots fill quickly, so don't miss out! Learn more.

May is Drowning Prevention Month

Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages one to four. Swim lessons and water safety education reduce the risk of drowning, build lifelong confidence and prepare children for safer experiences at the pool, on the beach and in water adventures ahead. It can be a life-saving gift. Give your child the skills to be safe and confident in the water by enrolling them in swim lessons. Learn more about Menlo Park swim lessons and swim scholarships.

Summer Activity registration dates announced

Learning is an adventure that yields lifelong benefits. The City of Menlo Park hosts a wide range of high-quality classes for all ages at reasonable rates, including fitness, dance, sports, gymnastics, music, drama, arts and crafts, lifelong learning and more. Enrollment dates have been announced and classes are available to preview. Learn more and preview classes.

Summer activity enrollment opens at 9 a.m. on:

• Thursday, May 14, for hyperlocal (Belle Haven Community Campus only)
• Saturday, May 16, for Menlo Park residents
• Wednesday, May 20, for non-residents

Light Novels

Light novels are a popular genre in Japan and among teens and fans of anime and manga. They are short, easy reads often featuring anime- and manga-style illustrations. If you ever wish you had more time to read, try a light novel and enjoy the small victory of finishing a great book! Our librarians have curated a light novel reading list especially for you. View the list.

Get out in the garden

Looking to get out in the garden? We've got resources for you!

• Seed lending library. The seed lending library lets borrowers "check out" a wide variety of vegetable and flower seeds to plant in their gardens for home use. Learn more.
• Garden Talk: Flowers for Your Garden. Our garden experts will share tips on growing flowers to bring color into your garden and floral arrangements into your home. Join us online via Zoom on Wednesday, May 6, from 6:30–7:30 p.m. Learn more.
• Efficient Irrigation Techniques Workshop. Learn about efficient irrigation, watering schedules, basic repairs and more. Participate online via Zoom on Sunday, May 10, from 11 a.m.–noon. Register and learn more.

Let's do lunch at Menlo Park Senior Center 

For active older adults aged 60 and older. Check out the lunch menu at the Menlo Park Senior Center. Freshly prepared, nutritionally balanced meals are made with local ingredients and paired with health, recreational, social, cultural and educational programs, plus opportunities for conversation and fun! Free, reliable transportation service is available. Join us Monday through Friday from morning to early afternoon at Menlo Park Senior Center, 100 Terminal Ave. See the menu.

More free literary and cultural programs 

These free literary and cultural programs received funding support from Friends of Menlo Park Library.

• Storytime. Join us for 30-minute-long storytimes at the library. Children and their caregivers will enjoy interactive early learning, featuring stories, songs and fun! 
  • Belle Haven Library – Tuesdays at 7:15 p.m., Fridays at 5:15 p.m. and Saturdays at 10:15 a.m.
  • Menlo Park Library – Thursdays at 10:15 a.m., Fridays at 10:15 a.m. and Saturdays at 11:15 a.m.
• Songs and Stories with the Blue Fairy. Kids and families, join us to sing along with the Blue Fairy and her puppet pal Pinocchio on Sunday, May 3, from 11–11:30 a.m. at Belle Haven Library, 100 Terminal Ave. Learn more.
• Melanated Women Read. Melanated Women Read is a book discussion group by and especially for Black women. This month, we will discuss Gather Me: A Memoir in Praise of the Books That Saved Me by Glory Edim online via Zoom on Monday, May 4, from 6:30–8 p.m. Learn more.

• Create Tissue-Paper Flowers. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a fun flower-creating craft for adults and children. Join us on Tuesday, May 5, from 3:30–5 p.m. at Menlo Park Library, 800 Alma St. Learn more.

• Global Language Storytime: Spanish. Join us for a story and songs all in Spanish! Participate on Tuesday, May 12, from 12:15–12:45 p.m. at Menlo Park Library, 800 Alma St. Learn more.

• Fiction Book Group Book Discussion. Join our Fiction Book Group to discuss Florida by Lauren Groff. Participate online via Zoom on Tuesday, May 12, from 6:30–7:45 p.m. Learn more.

Check out more free community programs
The above was just a sample of the many free activities hosted by the City of Menlo Park this week. Check out the community events calendar to see them all

See more free programs

One Book, One Coast: Japanese American History events — new events added!

Menlo Park Library, 800 Alma St., is hosting two months of special programming during the One Book One Coast program to bring Japanese American history and culture to life.

• One Book, One Coast is a shared reading experience that celebrates literacy, learning, community and civil discourse. Participating libraries will read and discuss They Called Us Enemy by George Takei. Learn more.
• Am I An American or Am I Not? Stop in for this special exhibition that explores historic and modern-day events that parallel aspects of the incarceration of Japanese Americans. The exhibition is viewable during library open hours through May 17. 
• Americans Behind Barbed Wire. Learn about the WWII-era incarceration of Japanese Americans, from people who lived it. Join us on Monday, May 4, from 4:30–6 p.m.