The Chattanooga Public Library is celebrating all their summer readers on Saturday, July 19th, with the Make.Play.Read.Learn. Finale Party at the First Horizon Pavilion.
Families and kids of all ages are invited to attend. Community partners from all over will be there to help celebrate over 570,000 minutes read over this summer!
In addition to all your favorite staff from the Library, the Finale Party will feature guests from WTCI PBS, Creative Discovery Museum, the City’s Office of Early Learning, Scouting America, Signal Centers and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, the SDCL Read 20 Program, and the YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga.
Fellow City of Chattanooga organizations will also be bringing big vehicles for truck-loving kids: a new natural gas-powered trash truck from the Public Works Department, a big bus from CARTA, and a fire truck plus Sparky the mascot will be there from the Chattanooga Fire Department.
The Finale Party is from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m, and with a schedule packed with fun activities, families will want to arrive early and stay for the whole event. There will be a dunk tank featuring Library Executive Director Will O’Hearn, a bounce house, outdoor games, a teen area featuring tie dyed t-shirts and more, and, thanks to a very generous donation from Chattanooga Yarn Company, there will be a variety of fiber arts stations for all ages.
And there are so many reasons to celebrate! The Library’s 2025 MPRL Summer Reading Challenge officially kicked off on May 31, 2025. Over 400 adults and more than 1,800 kids signed up to log their reading and participate in fun, educational challenges through the Beanstack app. So far, they have read over 570,000 minutes this summer alone!
Kids ages 0-18 will receive prizes, including grand prizes that will be awarded during a drawing on July 19. If participants are unable to attend the Finale Party, they will be contacted by phone or email to receive their prizes. After this event on July 19, adults who completed the challenge can stop by their favorite branch to receive a Library tote bag, and one lucky person will be randomly picked to receive a grand prize of a bag full of Library merchandise.
This year’s prizes include hundreds of incredible donations from the Library’s community partners, including 100 family passes to Ruby Falls, a family pass to Rock City, passes to the Tennessee Aquarium IMAX 3D Theater, and dozens of gift cards to McKay’s Books, (be)caffeinated, Chick-fil-A, Wear Dirt Designs, Il Primo Restaurant, Public House Restaurant and Texas Roadhouse.
“Summer reading helps children and young adults stay engaged and curious,” said Lee Hope, Assistant Director of Youth Services and Community Engagement at the Library. “When we can keep their minds active and growing, it helps be better prepared for the school year ahead.”
MPRL 2025 is still going on, so anyone who wants to participate can visit chattlibrary.org/mprl to learn more and sign up.
Additional information about other Library programs, events, services and more can also be found at chattlibrary.org.