Events
Summer Reading 2026 is ready for you! Register for Summer Reading
Printed copies are available at the library. Registration is required for all summer events. Space is limited and some events may fill quickly. Register for events in person or by calling 815-286-3220.
What is the Summer Reading Program?
Absolutely all ages are invited to participate. In fact, we have a 21+ grand prize this year! We make it simple for everyone. A reading log only asks for how much you read in a week. Books, pages, audiobooks, magazines…reading a picture book aloud to your child counts for both of you! Turn in a reading log every week and earn amazing prizes like free bowling at Funway, tickets to the Kane County Cougars, and free cheesy breadsticks from Paisano’s. Plus, you’ll be entered to win grand prizes like cinnamon rolls from Fran’s Cozy Kitchen and amazing gift baskets from South Moon BBQ. It’s all free. We just want you to read. Reading logs will be available starting June 1st and can be turned in at the library any time during open hours through July 18th.
Events below are held at the DeKalb Public Library: 309 Oak St in DeKalb. They are open to residents of other communities.
Try out these upcoming programs at the DeKalb Public Library, generously shared with the Hinckley community:
The Big Balloonosaur Adventure (DeKalb)
June 25, 2026, 10:00am - 10:45am, 11:30am - 12:15pm, & 1:00pm - 1:45pm
This summer, Smarty Pants takes audiences back to the age of dinosaurs with the Big Balloonosaur Adventure! Called “simply amazing” by WGN-TV, this hilarious balloon stage show features magic, comedy for all ages, and Smarty’s award-winning, world’s biggest balloon props, plus more dinosaurs than you’ve ever seen at the library!
We’ll meet baby dinosaurs, giant dinosaurs, chickens that want to be dinosaurs, and even the world’s largest dinosaur egg (it’s over eight feet tall!)
Smarty Pants’ eye-popping, larger than life balloon creations will have the entire family exclaiming, “I never believed it was possible to do such things with balloons!”
This program is sponsored by the Friends of the DeKalb Public Library. It is free and open to families. No registration is required.
For more information, please contact Theresa at theresaw@dkpl.org or at (815) 756-9568 ext. 3350.
Fantastic Foam Show (DeKalb)
July 9, 2026, 10:00am - 11:00am, 11:30am - 12:30pm, & 1:00 - 2:00pm
Absolute Science hosts a hands-on, family-friendly science performance featuring dramatic foam experiments, fun physics demos, and interactive magic for all ages!
This show will even make your hair stand up! You will experience items disappearing in clear liquids with refraction oil and see the power of a Van De Graaff generator. But no show is complete without foam. LOTS of foam. With the foam experiment, children become stars.
This program is funded by the Friends of the DeKalb Public Library. It is free and open to families. No registration is required.
For more information, please contact Theresa at theresaw@dkpl.org or at (815) 756-9568 ext. 3350.
After-hours Event: The Harmony of Korean Music (DeKalb)
July 17, 2026, 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Experience the captivating sounds and movements of Korean culture featuring traditional drumming and the enchanting melody of native flutes! This music and dance performance combines rhythm, grace, and artistry that you won’t soon forget.
The Korean Performing Arts Institute of Chicago (KPAC), established in 2013, is dedicated to preserving, promoting, and developing Korean traditional performing arts.
KPAC preserves the authenticity of Korean arts by delivering high-quality performances and offering hands-on educational programs led by professionally trained artists from South Korea. They promote Korean and other ethnic/folk arts by engaging diverse audiences, expanding beyond the Korean community to share the richness of Korean culture with the wider public and contributing to the multicultural landscape of Chicago and beyond. KPAC also develops and innovates within the art form by creating new music and collaborating with artists from other genres, enriching Korean performing arts and broadening its appeal.
This free event is open to all; no registration is required. Doors will open at 6:00 and music will begin at 6:30 p.m. This event is part of the after-hours concert series in partnership with the Friends of the Library and 94.9 WDKB.
For additional information, please contact Samantha at samanthah@dkpl.org or at (815) 756-9568 ext. 1701.
Melodies of the East (DeKalb)
July 25, 2026, 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Join oudist, vocalist, and composer Dr. Aboud Agha for an intimate evening of original music, and reimagined classical melodies as part of ‘Melodies of the East’.
The performance unfolds through the expressive voice of the oud, intricate rhythms, and improvisation. This concert takes audiences through an immersive musical experience to fire the imagination, drawing inspiration from ancient cultures and timeless artistic traditions.
Aboud Agha was born in Syria and immigrated to Boston at the age of twelve. He is an accomplished performer and composer of Arabic and Middle Eastern music. Aboud is a master of the Oud (Middle Eastern lute) and of many vocal styles from this part of the world. He has a master’s degree in musical performance from Northern Illinois University and a doctorate in ethnomusicology from UCLA in California. He now teaches at the American University in Dubai.
Aboud will be accompanied by percussionist and DeKalb native Sven Oscar Hansen. Sven has lived and studied in Norway and India, and has created and performed events incorporating music, poetry, and sound healing.
There will be an opportunity after the show to meet and chat with the artists.
This concert is free and open to all. Doors will open at 6:00 and music will begin at 6:30 p.m. No registration is required. This event is part of the after-hours concert series in partnership with the Friends of the Library and 94.9 WDKB.
For additional information, please contact Chelsea at chelsear@dkpl.org or at (815) 756-9568 ext. 1700.