Events tagged: holland
Showing all events with this tag
Beacon: A Good Men's Gathering
🕐 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
In our history and our culture, lighting a beacon was a call for aid. In England, the beacons still stand, lit during times of honor and memorial. They've become centers of gathering, places that a community come together to celebrate, to remember, and to strengthen their bond. Beacon is our modern take, a monthly meetup for men in the Holland area who want a place to connect. The goal is to gather on the third Sunday of each month around this beacon: that honor and hope and possibility are the bonds of good men. Think of it as a chance to check in, swap stories, talk about books, hobbies, local happenings, vent about work, or just sit and listen. There's no agenda, no pitch, no pressure. Sometimes we'll offer a loose theme to kick things off, but mostly we let the discussion take its own path.
Textual Healing Book Club
🕐 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Welcome to Textual Healing, the book club where we read romance without apology, from sweet to spicy, and everything (or everyone) deliciously in between. Romance is the highest-grossing genre in publishing for a reason: readers love big feelings, bold desire, and the absolute certainty of a happily-ever-after. We're here to burrow into all of it and live there. Each month, we read romance that ranges from tender slow burns to feral, page-gripping chaos (consensual, of course), and then gather to talk tropes, chemistry, characters, and the sheer joy of a genre that knows exactly what it's doing (and for whom). This is a space for laughing, blushing, debating, and celebrating stories that center pleasure, emotional payoff, and endings that deliver. If you love romance unapologetically or if you're romance-curious and ready to be converted, Textual Healing is your people. Come for the smut. Stay for the feelings.
Craft & Connect
🕐 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Craft & Connect is our every-other-Friday evening gathering for people who like to make things and talk while doing it. Officially, it's a space to bring your work in progress: knitting, crochet, embroidery, hand-sewing, or any portable craft. Unofficially, it's stitch n' bitch, so bring your vents, rants, and raves as well! Projects that have been seen at a C&C night: unfinished novels, blackout poetry, nail polish, amigurumi, linocut stamping, scrapbooks, bullet journals, washi tape, bracelet-making, cartooning, painting, embroidery, hemming, stuffed animal assembly... Come with your half-finished projects, your tangled yarn, and your need to yap your way through questionable pattern choices. Craft & Connect is a low-pressure, high-conversation hangout where progress is optional and community is the whole point. All skill levels and questions welcome!
Holland Writers Group
🕐 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
The Holland Writers Group is a peer-led critique group for writers of all genres and experience levels. Meeting on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month (barring bookshop conflicts), the group offers a supportive, constructive space to share work, receive feedback, and stay accountable to your writing practice. Whether you're drafting, revising, or just getting started, writers are welcome to join the conversation and grow together. RSVP not required; bring your pages! Have questions? Email author Jean Davis: jeandavis71@gmail.com
Start Strong Planner Morning
🕐 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Whether you're a highlighters-and-washi-tape kind of organizer or a chaos gremlin trying to become one, our monthly Start Strong meet-up is your new favorite ritual. Bring your Pomodoro Style, your creative chaos, or your precision sticker tools to join Aimee for a morning of planning, journaling, or goal-setting with fellow list-makers, dreamers, and calendar color-coders. We'll have journaling and planner materials out to help you map your month: appointments, events, book goals, and all. It's equal parts productivity and self-care, wrapped up in a calm, creative start to your day. Perfect for Type-A personalities, crafty souls, or anyone who needs a little structure with their coffee.
Craft & Connect
🕐 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Craft & Connect is our every-other-Friday evening gathering for people who like to make things and talk while doing it. Officially, it's a space to bring your work in progress: knitting, crochet, embroidery, hand-sewing, or any portable craft. Unofficially, it's stitch n' bitch, so bring your vents, rants, and raves as well! Projects that have been seen at a C&C night: unfinished novels, blackout poetry, nail polish, amigurumi, linocut stamping, scrapbooks, bullet journals, washi tape, bracelet-making, cartooning, painting, embroidery, hemming, stuffed animal assembly... Come with your half-finished projects, your tangled yarn, and your need to yap your way through questionable pattern choices. Craft & Connect is a low-pressure, high-conversation hangout where progress is optional and community is the whole point. All skill levels and questions welcome!
This Book Club Is Banned
🕐 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Stories that have been challenged or banned have sparked conversation and controversy across the country. At This Book Club Is Banned, we select our reading list from titles named on the American Library Association and PEN America lists of banned or challenged books, and explore them together in community. In recent years, attempts to censor or restrict access to books have surged. The American Library Association has documented thousands of book challenges each year, far more than in previous decades, targeting a wide range of voices and experiences. This club isn't just about reading; it's about understanding why certain stories provoke debate, recognizing the value of diverse perspectives, and celebrating the freedom to read openly and with curiosity. Whether you're passionate about literature, interested in social issues, or simply looking for lively discussion, join us as we read books that challenge and stories that matter.
Holland Writers Group
🕐 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
The Holland Writers Group is a peer-led critique group for writers of all genres and experience levels. Meeting on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month (barring bookshop conflicts), the group offers a supportive, constructive space to share work, receive feedback, and stay accountable to your writing practice. Whether you're drafting, revising, or just getting started, writers are welcome to join the conversation and grow together. RSVP not required; bring your pages! Have questions? Email author Jean Davis: jeandavis71@gmail.com
Sip & Craft
🕐 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Sip & Craft is our monthly, free crafting hang designed to be exactly what you need: simple, social, and sustainable. We set out easy, low-pressure craft projects using accessible and often reused materials, so you can make something with your hands while enjoying good conversation and a thematic drink. Open to all ages, Sip & Craft is less about perfection and more about connection - you can come solo, bring a friend, or make a new one at the table. Whether you stay for ten minutes or two hours, you're welcome to drop in, create, and be part of the community.
Bookstore Romance Day 2026
🕐 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Bookstore Romance Day is back, and we're making a whole day of it! Whether your ideal romance involves flowers, tea, books, cheese, custom fragrance, or simply spending a day surrounded by people who understand the emotional importance of a fictional relationship, we've got you covered. Join us for a celebration of love in all its forms, whether that's romantic, platonic, literary, and delightfully self-indulgent. Throughout the day, you'll find curated experiences designed for readers, romantics, best friends, date nights, and anyone who believes life's too short for boring Saturdays. Pick your favorite event or grab a VIP pass and make a whole day of it! Ticket options include: - VIP Pass ($150) - includes ALL events, VIP Swag Bag, exclusive Fragrance Bar creation, and Special Edition upgrades - Bouquet and Tea Bar ($30) - starts at 12pm, go home with a bouquet you build - Books & Boards ($50) - begins at 4pm, create your board and your book - Beyond "Nice" with Brave Body ($20) - interactive workshop with occupational therapist Janelle to build your sensory experience
Beacon: A Good Men's Gathering
🕐 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
In our history and our culture, lighting a beacon was a call for aid. In England, the beacons still stand, lit during times of honor and memorial. They've become centers of gathering, places that a community come together to celebrate, to remember, and to strengthen their bond. Beacon is our modern take, a monthly meetup for men in the Holland area who want a place to connect. The goal is to gather on the third Sunday of each month around this beacon: that honor and hope and possibility are the bonds of good men. Think of it as a chance to check in, swap stories, talk about books, hobbies, local happenings, vent about work, or just sit and listen. There's no agenda, no pitch, no pressure. Sometimes we'll offer a loose theme to kick things off, but mostly we let the discussion take its own path.
Textual Healing Book Club
🕐 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Welcome to Textual Healing, the book club where we read romance without apology, from sweet to spicy, and everything (or everyone) deliciously in between. Romance is the highest-grossing genre in publishing for a reason: readers love big feelings, bold desire, and the absolute certainty of a happily-ever-after. We're here to burrow into all of it and live there. Each month, we read romance that ranges from tender slow burns to feral, page-gripping chaos (consensual, of course), and then gather to talk tropes, chemistry, characters, and the sheer joy of a genre that knows exactly what it's doing (and for whom). This is a space for laughing, blushing, debating, and celebrating stories that center pleasure, emotional payoff, and endings that deliver. If you love romance unapologetically or if you're romance-curious and ready to be converted, Textual Healing is your people. Come for the smut. Stay for the feelings.
Readers Without Borders
🕐 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Readers Without Borders is for the curious, the adventurous, and the happily undisciplined reader. Each month, we explore a different genre, encouraging members to pick a book that stretches their usual tastes and brings something new to the table. Bring your TBR, your current read, or the book you meant to finish: we're here to talk about what you discovered, what surprised you, and what you might try next. This is a low-pressure, high-curiosity club where no one has to read the same title, just share the experience of reading beyond the familiar. If you love variety, thoughtful conversation, and swapping recommendations with fellow literary explorers, Readers Without Borders is your passport.
Craft & Connect
🕐 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Craft & Connect is our every-other-Friday evening gathering for people who like to make things and talk while doing it. Officially, it's a space to bring your work in progress: knitting, crochet, embroidery, hand-sewing, or any portable craft. Unofficially, it's stitch n' bitch, so bring your vents, rants, and raves as well! Projects that have been seen at a C&C night: unfinished novels, blackout poetry, nail polish, amigurumi, linocut stamping, scrapbooks, bullet journals, washi tape, bracelet-making, cartooning, painting, embroidery, hemming, stuffed animal assembly... Come with your half-finished projects, your tangled yarn, and your need to yap your way through questionable pattern choices. Craft & Connect is a low-pressure, high-conversation hangout where progress is optional and community is the whole point. All skill levels and questions welcome!
Holland Writers Group
🕐 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
The Holland Writers Group is a peer-led critique group for writers of all genres and experience levels. Meeting on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month (barring bookshop conflicts), the group offers a supportive, constructive space to share work, receive feedback, and stay accountable to your writing practice. Whether you're drafting, revising, or just getting started, writers are welcome to join the conversation and grow together. RSVP not required; bring your pages! Have questions? Email author Jean Davis: jeandavis71@gmail.com
Start Strong Planner Morning
🕐 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Whether you're a highlighters-and-washi-tape kind of organizer or a chaos gremlin trying to become one, our monthly Start Strong meet-up is your new favorite ritual. Bring your Pomodoro Style, your creative chaos, or your precision sticker tools to join Aimee for a morning of planning, journaling, or goal-setting with fellow list-makers, dreamers, and calendar color-coders. We'll have journaling and planner materials out to help you map your month: appointments, events, book goals, and all. It's equal parts productivity and self-care, wrapped up in a calm, creative start to your day. Perfect for Type-A personalities, crafty souls, or anyone who needs a little structure with their coffee.
Adult Game Night
🕐 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Adult Game Night (open to those 18+) is held on the third Thursday of every month from 7pm to 9pm at the Community Center. All are welcome to join us for games, snacks, and meeting others in the community. Feel free to bring your own favorite game to share!
Reading the Rainbow
🕐 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Reading the Rainbow is Out On The Lakeshore's inclusive book club, welcoming individuals of all genders and identities. We explore LGBTQ+ literature twice a month through engaging discussions and a variety of activities inspired by the books, including film screenings and author talks. Book List for 2026! January: Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin February: Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey March: Tongue Breaker: Poems and Performance Texts by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha April: From Gay to Z: A Queer Compendium by Justin Elizabeth Sayre May: This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone and Amal El-Mohtar June: Brandon and Wilson at the Catch by Curtis McMillen July: The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz August: Song of My Softening by Omotara James and Keith Haring: A Life for Art by Alexandra Kolossa September: Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Melinda Lo October: The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer by Janelle Monáe November: Love Is for All of Us: Poems of Tenderness and Belonging from the LGBTQ+ Community and Friends edited by James Crews and Brad Peacock December: So Many Stars: An Oral History of Trans, Nonbinary, Genderqueer, and Two-Spirit People of Color by Caro De Robertis
Reading the Rainbow
🕐 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Reading the Rainbow is Out On The Lakeshore's inclusive book club, welcoming individuals of all genders and identities. We explore LGBTQ+ literature twice a month through engaging discussions and a variety of activities inspired by the books, including film screenings and author talks. Book List for 2026! January: Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin February: Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey March: Tongue Breaker: Poems and Performance Texts by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha April: From Gay to Z: A Queer Compendium by Justin Elizabeth Sayre May: This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone and Amal El-Mohtar June: Brandon and Wilson at the Catch by Curtis McMillen July: The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz August: Song of My Softening by Omotara James and Keith Haring: A Life for Art by Alexandra Kolossa September: Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Melinda Lo October: The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer by Janelle Monáe November: Love Is for All of Us: Poems of Tenderness and Belonging from the LGBTQ+ Community and Friends edited by James Crews and Brad Peacock December: So Many Stars: An Oral History of Trans, Nonbinary, Genderqueer, and Two-Spirit People of Color by Caro De Robertis